True Light (Old Version)
by Elise Lowing
Summary: Several years after the defeat of Acnologia and Zeref's army, Natsu and Lucy have married and now have a daughter; Alu Dragneel. She has both their magical abilities, but is only half-strong in each of them. When she sets out to repair Aquarius's Key, she learns of an evil plot that threatens to destroy Fairy Tail. Can Alu find the power to save her family and guild?
1. Chapter 1: A New Beginning

**Fairy Tail**

 **True Light**

 **Well, I've been following this manga/anime for a while and once again the gears in my head began to turn. And what I came up with was something that I usually don't do.**

 **Usually when I do a fan fiction I try to stick with the official main characters and their lives, only inserting my own fan characters as part of their friendship circle.**

 **However, this story took a different turn than I expected. I thought about it for a while and I decided to take a whack at it. So this story is kind of an exercise to help broaden my writing talents and such.**

 **I will say now that there is going to be some harsh language, but I refuse to use the inappropriate swear words (I'm not going to drop the f-bomb or things like that). I also will not go into any adult content. I'm going to keep this as PG-13 as possible.**

 **This story is going to take place several years in the future. Although I don't know how the canon series of Fairy Tail will end, I'm just going to assume that it ends with everyone defeating Achnologia and Zeref's army.**

 **8/16/16: As of this date, I have been doing editing on the story. This is just to fix some plot and grammar errors, but the story is staying the same as a whole.**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters; I am merely exploring a possible story.**

 **With that said, let's begin.**

* * *

 ** _"Breaking the dark of night, piercing through the painted white. Cut it all away from yesterday 'till a new era's in sight. Unlock the heart within, let it spread its wings and soar. Rising up in flight, through the night of white, and fly on forever more"_**

 ** _~True Light (English Version)_**

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

 **A New Beginning**

 _In the magical land of Fiore, there stands a strong and infamous wizard guild known as Fairy Tail. Many of the nation's strongest wizards reside in this guild, and the family of Fairy Tail continues to grow._

 _It is now that a new generation of Fairy Tail wizards begins to rise._

* * *

In the port town of Hargeon, a young, teen-aged girl was walking down through the streets. She wore a green, loose fitting jacket with the hood up over her head, concealing her hair and the upper part of her face. The jacket reached down to her calves, hiding her cloths underneath. On her feet, she wore pair of sandals that had red straps and black bottoms.

The girl looked down at the piece of paper she was carrying in her right hand. It was a job request to catch some deranged convict who has been setting fire to houses at random. At the bottom on bold print, it said that the reward for the capture was 200,000 Jewel.

"Well," the girl smirked, "if fire is involved, then this will be no problem for me."

She turned to look at the clock tower to see what time it was. Her grin turned into a concerned frown when she saw that it was fifteen minutes past noon.

"I better hurry," she mumbled. "Gotta get back to the guild before I'm missed. I really don't want to have to deal with the master again."

At that moment, the girl heard the sound of an explosion that was immediately followed by frantic screams and shouts. She looked over in the direction it came from and saw a pillar of smoke billowing up into the blue sky above the rooftops of the city.

Her confident grin returned to her face.

"Looks like I found my target."

Without a moment of hesitation, the girl set off running as fast as she could through the streets of Hargeon. As she did, she passed by screaming citizens who were racing for dear life in the opposite direction.

As she passed by a man and a woman, she heard something that made her stop for a brief moment.

"Did that guy say he was Salamander!?"

"Yeah, but I never thought one of Fairy Tail's S-Class wizards would go rogue like this!"

The girl's dark eyes briefly appeared from under the shadow of her hood. And they glinted with suspicion.

"Salamander?" her whisper bordered on a menacing growl.

Gritting her teeth and narrowing her eyes, the girl set out in a dead sprint until she came upon a burning building that looked as if it was once a magic shop.

Standing in the middle of the wreckage and amongst the flames, laughing maniacally was a man with spiky pink hair.

The girl scowled when she saw him.

"Are you the one who claims to be Salamander?!" she shouted and pointed a finger at him.

The man in the flames turned to see the girl and grinned wickedly.

"That's right!" he sneered. "And who are you suppose to be?!"

"Prove it!" the girl replied snappishly. "C'mon, I dare ya!"

"Huh, cocky little brat, aren't ya?! Okay, but you're going to regret it!"

The girl stood her ground as the man before her took a deep breath before shouting.

"FIRE DRAGON ROAR!"

A funnel of flames shot from the man's mouth and enveloped the girl in a blaze of destruction. The man only smirked for a moment before he was met with a shocking revelation.

Although the fire was burning bright, he could just make out the girl's silhouette standing in the middle of it. She wasn't writhing in pain or screaming in agony either. She was just standing there. And…was she yawning?

"Ugh!" she said tauntingly, and loud enough so that he could hear her. "I knew something about you was off! Not only do you smell wrong, but your flames taste awful!"

The girl opened her mouth wide and the fire that surrounded her began to flow right into it.

Once she had consumed all the flames, she stood up tall and wiped her chin.

"Still," she smirked cockily, "thanks for the grub."

The man in front of her was dumbstruck by this.

"Who ARE you?!" he demanded.

The girl looked at the man in front of her and scowled viciously.

"You don't know who I am?" she said in a low voice.

The girl then threw off her jacket to reveal her identity.

She had on a deep purple vest with gold trimming. Underneath it was a light grey sleeveless shirt that went up to her collarbone. She had on loose, tannish pants that went down to the middle of her calves, and around her waist was a purple skirt-like cloth with gold trimming that went down to her knees, and was opened in the middle.

Her skin was a peachy beige color, her eyes were dark, piercing green, and her short, spiky hair was sakura pink.

On the upper part of her right arm was an emerald green marking that looked like a tattoo of a fairy skipping.

"My name is Alu, I'm a Fairy Tail wizard!" she declared angrily. "But if you were really Salamander then you'd know my name already! You're just an imposter!"

"What?!" the man was taken aback.

"And that stuff you call "Dragon Slayer Magic" is pathetic!" Alu raged, "You insult the real Salamander! And I'm not going to let you dirty his good name!"

Alu slammed the palms of her hands together and streams of pale fire began to swirl around her. She then spread her arms out like wings and leapt high up into the air. Balls of fire emanated from her hands as she curled them up into fists.

With a flip and a swing of her arms, she shouted at the top of her voice,

"FIRE DRAGON WING ATTACK!"

Flames streamed out from her hands and crisscrossed down towards the Salamander imposter. He leapt out of the way and back flipped out of the burning building, landing outside of the wreckage.

Alu gracefully landed back down onto the road and looked up with a grin.

"Why didn't you eat my flames?!" she jeered. "If you were really Salamander you would've greedily gobbled them up! Another proof that you're a fake!"

"SHUT UP!" the man bellowed.

In a whirl of white light, the man changed his physical form. Now he had straight, onyx-black hair, grey eyes, and he was dressed in some kind of weird crimson robe that left only one of his right arm bare.

"Transformation Magic, eh?!" Alu sneered. "You really think you can beat me with that?!"

Suddenly, a black rope shot from the man's hand and began to wrap itself around Alu. Although she was late to respond with an escape, she managed to raise her right arm in time as the rope pinned her left arm to her torso. She grimaced and squirmed as the rope tightened around her.

"Try getting out of this one, brat!" the man shouted, his voice now a very different tone than his previous one. "This rope is resistant against any fire attack!"

Alu just gave a impish grin.

"Really?!" she said, gritting her teeth. "Well guess what; Dragon Slayer Magic isn't all I've got up my sleeve!"

With a swift flash of her hand, Alu grabbed something from off her belt underneath her vest and held it high above her head. It was a curiously shaped golden key that looked like it had some kind of crab-claw motif.

"OPEN, GATE THE GIANT CRAB!" Alu commanded. "CANCER!"

Out of a blue and gold magic circle, a Celestial Spirit in the form of a man came through. His skin was tanned and he wore a striped blue shirt with black pants and shoes. He also had on a pair of green shades, which concealed his eyes. On his back were six crab legs on his back, and he had a pair of scissors in each hand.

"What's up, baby?" he said in a cool, collected voice that reminded Alu of chocolate. "You need me to style up that hair of yours?"

"Eh, maybe later, Cancer." Alu frowned awkwardly. "Right now, I need you to get me out of this."

"Wait!" the man who had Alu caught exclaimed in shock. "You're a Celestial Wizard, too?!"

"Yeah, you better believe it!" Alu shouted with a confident smirk, remembering she was still in the middle of a fight.

Cancer leapt into action. In less than a second, moving so quickly that no one could see him clearly, he had cut the rope that was binding Alu to pieces. The release of tension caused the enemy wizard to stumble back a bit.

"Thanks a million, Cancer." Alu said to the Celestial Spirit, winking. "I can take it from here."

"No prob, baby." Cancer replied before disappearing in a glitter of golden light.

Alu turned back to the wizard in front of her and called forth some flames to the bottom of her feet. Each of them burned intensely, but her skin and sandals were left unscathed. Alu then rushed forward with a battle cry and kicked her right leg out.

"FIRE DRAGON TALON!"

Before the wizard in front of her had time to react, Alu's foot made contact with the center of his chest. He let out a sharp gasp of pain and flew backwards straight into the wall of a nearby building.

"Ha!" Alu scoffed. "That's what you get when you mess with a Fairy Tail wizard. Especially one that's - UGH!"

Alu didn't get to finish her sentence because at that moment she felt all of her energy drain from her at once. The pale fire around her feet flicked for only a moment before extinguishing completely. She fell to her knees and panted for air. Sweat began to drip down her face and her limbs felt shaky.

 _"No, not now!"_ she thought desperately to herself. _"I can't be out of magic now!"_

To make matters even worse, the wizard criminal emerged out of the clouds of dust and rubble like some kind of nightmare. He had a very nasty smile on his face that was only accented by a horrible cut on his chin. When he saw Alu down, he let out a maniacal laugh that sent shivers down her spine. He then began to walk over towards her. Alu tried to get up and move, but her legs were so weak that she ended up stumbling before falling over on her right side. Although she was scared, she hid her fear behind her scowl.

"Did you honestly think that rope was just merely for knotting people up like pretzels?" the criminal wizard said jeeringly. "From the time it was on you, it was slowly sapping away your magic power. Not that there was much to take."

The wizard reached Alu and shot a hand out, grabbing her by her hair. She let out a painful scream as he hoisted her up to his face. She curved in pain and discomfort, wrinkling her nose at the smell of his horrible breath.

"I know you now," he sneered. "You're Fairy Tail's little half-wizard."

"I'M NOT A HALF-WIZARD!" Alu protested fervently, kicking her legs with what little strength her body had. "I'M A CELESTIAL WIZARD AND DRAGON SLAYER! PUT ME DOWN OR YOU'LL BE SORRY!"

The man ignored her and continued to gloat.

"It's a shame," he said in a dark, mocking tone. "You're the daughter of two S-Class wizards of Fairy Tail, yet your strength pales in comparison to theirs. How misfortunate they were to produce such a weak offspring like you."

Before the wicked man could continue, something happened that changed the situation completely.

There was the sound of water being sucked into a tube. Both Alu and the wizard holding her captive suddenly remembered the burning house just beside them and looked over to see what was going on.

The fire was rapidly growing smaller. Streams of it were all being absorbed by something that was standing in the middle of the rubble. When the flames had died a little more, they could both see that it was a man in a one-sleeved dark blue coat with a long cloth trimmed with gold around his waist.

They also realized that he was eating the flames.

Alu's eyes widened in shock and she inhaled sharply. She who this person was. There was no mistaking that scaly white scarf, the spiky salmon-colored hair, and the red Fairy Tail guild mark on his exposed right arm. Not to mention, his scent of burning mahogany embers was more than enough to confirm it.

It was Natsu Dragneel of Fairy Tail. The real Salamander.

Once Natsu was finished devouring the flames, stripping the building clean of any fire, he stood up and looked at the enemy wizard with an angry glint in his onyx-colored eyes.

"You let her go right now!" he demanded in a strong, deep voice.

The wizard holding Alu by her hair turned pale and quickly dropped the girl. Alu winced as the impact of her rump making contact with the hard ground shot pain up her back. She only took a second to nurse the ache before looking back up at what was happening in front of her.

Natsu began walking toward the wizard who had just released her. He was scowling so hard that Alu could see the veins popping out of his face. His fists were curled up so tight that the knucklebones underneath were visible, and strong orange fire was quickly forming around them.

"Trying to impersonate me is one thing, you punk!" Natsu growled. "But harming and mocking a member of my guild is unforgivable! Especially her!"

The enemy wizard stammered as he backed away from Natsu. He was so terrified of this wizard that his mouth was unable to form any words. He tried sending out the same black ropes that he had used on Alu before, but Natsu kept walking forward, cutting them away with his fire like they were just little flies.

Alu gave a nervous grin. This wizard had every right to be afraid of Natsu. After all, he wasn't an S-Class Wizard of Fairy Tail for nothing.

"This guy is toast." Alu mumbled.

At that moment, Natsu's fist flared up with even more Dragon Slayer fire.

"But thanks to your little arson crime," he snarled viciously at the enemy, "I've got a fire in my belly that's raging to get out!"

Before anyone could blink, Natsu darted forward with incredible speed.

"FIRE DRAGON IRON FIST!" he bellowed.

The flames around his hands lit up with an honest and powerful red glow and he swung his right fist right under the enemy wizard's chin. This uppercut sent the man flying high over the rooftops of the buildings. He sailed straight over the city and hit the city bell, which let out a resounding "GONG". This knocked him out cold and he fell down to the marble floor underneath the bell.

With the threat nullified, Natsu loosened his shoulders and grunted. He then turned around sharply to look at the girl behind him. When he saw her, his appearance softened, but only just a little bit. The blood vessels that were once visible before had now vanished from his face and his eyes became less narrowed. Still, he was looking at the young wizard with a stern expression.

Alu looked up at Natsu and shrunk back. Her eyes were filled with concealed worry, and her cheeks were red with embarrassment.

She could tell by the look on his face that she was in trouble. Deep trouble.

"Alu Layla Dragneel." Natsu said firmly. "What've you got to say for yourself this time?"

Alu lowered her gaze and grumbled miserably, "Thanks for the save…Dad."


	2. Chapter 2: Enter Alu Dragneel

**Chapter 2**

 **Enter Alu Dragneel**

About half an hour later, Alu was sitting on the seat in a train, looking sourly out the window at the landscape rushing by. Beside her was a little blue cat, better known as an Exceed. His name was Happy. At the moment, he was greedily eating a piece of fish.

He also had a rather smug expression on his face. Whether it was from the fish he was eating, or at the amusement that Alu had been caught; Alu couldn't tell which.

But if it was the latter, then that cat was going to be dropped kicked into the next city by her.

Natsu was sitting in the seat across from his daughter. Normally, he would've been hunched and clutching his stomach, moaning in discomfort. Being a Dragon Slayer, Natsu was particularly vulnerable to motion sickness. However, thanks to a special kind of pill he had just popped into his mouth before they had pulled out of the train station, he was sitting up and looking up his daughter with a serious face.

 _"_ _Curse those Troia pills."_ Alu thought to herself, frowning. _"I think I liked it better when he was keeled over and complaining about his tummy hating him. At least he wouldn't be lecturing me."_

"Alu," Natsu said to his daughter in a low voice, "I think you know why I was in Hargeon, don't you?"

Alu didn't give a verbal answer. She just cast a brief glare at her father before looking back out the window.

"Alu, look at me." Natsu raised his voice a bit.

Grudgingly, Alu obeyed. Her irritated eyes looked directly into her father's stern ones. It almost felt like she was looking at an older and more masculine mirror image of herself.

"You know why I was really in Hargeon." Natsu repeated. That statement wasn't a question.

"Who blabbed?" Alu asked, a growl slipping in to her tone. "Was it Ur?"

"That's not important." Natsu narrowed his eyes.

"It was her, wasn't it?!" Alu snapped, punching her right fist into her right hand. "Next time I see her I'll knock her teeth in!"

"Geez," the little blue cat beside her drawled, "the way you and Ur fight, you'd think Natsu and Grey had swapped genders or something."

"Watch it, cat!" Alu snarled, scowling at the little blue cat next to her. "I'm close enough to knock you to the ground!"

"Alu!" Nastu raised his voice harshly. "Why did you go on a solo job?!"

Alu shut her mouth and looked up at father. She leaned back in her seat with discomfort. She still kept a fearless expression, but nervous sweat was beginning to form on her left temple. She could tell by the way her father fists were clenched that he was doing all he could to prevent himself from lashing out at her.

Catching his temper, Natsu took a deep breath to calm himself down. As frustrated as he was, he also knew that he would get nowhere with his daughter if he yelled at her. He would just get her more aggravated, and the two would just have an argument that would get them nowhere. Not to mention, he knew that he would also get caught up in the heat of the moment.

 _"_ _Man, this was so much harder than arguing with Grey or Erza,"_ he thought to himself.

He then looked back up at Alu.

"You know you're not allowed on solo missions yet," he simply stated.

"Or sure." Alu replied bitterly. "But everyone else my age is allowed."

"But I'm not talking about them, I'm talking about you." Natsu said. "Whenever you take a solo job, its always a dangerous one. Did you even know that wizard you fought today used to be part of a Dark Guild?"

"No," Alu admitted with disdain, sounding like she didn't care about the details, "but I was able to expose him as a fake, wasn't I? If it wasn't for me, he would've ruined your good name."

Natsu narrowed his eyes a bit. He knew what his daughter was trying to do.

"You're dodging the point, Alu," he said. "He could've killed you. And he probably would have if Happy and I didn't show up."

"Yeah," Happy said snobbishly, "if it wasn't for the two of us, you wouldn't even be here now."

"I don't recall seeing you jumping into the fray." Alu glared, staring the annoying Exceed down. "My dad was the one who did everything."

"But I was the one who found you!" Happy said indigently. "Tell her, Natsu! I flew you all over the city until we found her!"

Natsu didn't answer. Instead he closed his eyes and shook his head.

"You really aren't going to talk to me, are you?" he asked his daughter.

Alu looked away and grimaced. That was enough to tell Natsu that she wasn't going to talk to him anymore. If Natsu tried to force an answer out of her, she was just going to get even angrier. And the train really wasn't best place to start a fight.

Natsu let out a deep exhale and leaned back in his seat. He then turned his head to look out the window.

"I think you should know that your mom isn't too happy about your little stunt either," he warned. "When Happy and I left, she was fit to be tied. And of course, Erza was pretty mad, too. I'll bet she's going to give you an earful when we get back since Makarov is away at a conference."

Alu shot an annoyed expression at her father and gritted her teeth.

"When is that pill's effects going wear off?" she asked spitefully.

"Not until after we get to Magnolia," Natsu answered, grinning. "You can thank Wendy for that."

Alu let out an irritated grunt and leaned back in her seat. She then turned her head to looked out the window again. By now, she was starting to get a bit of a headache from the rumbling of the train. Since she was only half-Dragon Slayer, she was a little more immune to motion sickness than normal Dragon Slayers. Still, it gave her a headache whenever she had to endure it for too long. She found that the best way to ease the discomfort was by just being quiet and looking out of a window.

As Alu stared out over the dandelion-yellow drenched landscape rushing by, her expression changed from annoyed to a hidden upset. She was really hoping that she could complete that job on her own. If she had returned to the guild with this solo accomplishment, then maybe everyone at Fairy Tail would…

Oh, what did it matter? She was caught either way. And worse, she didn't complete the job. Instead, she was almost killed by the enemy, and she had to be rescued by her father…again.

Unfortunately, Alu's pride and frustration kept her from admitting all this out loud

Either way, she was in trouble. She was in no hurry to get back to the Fairy Tail guild. She knew from past experience that a hurricane of a lecture was waiting for her when she got back.

And she had a feeling that this time it was going to be worst than the last one.

* * *

 _An hour later…_

"What were you thinking, Alu?!" a blonde hair woman named Lucy scolded. "This is the fourth time this month! Why do you always pull these stunts?! Did you know that your father and I were worried sick about you?!"

"Your mother's right, Alu," another woman with red hair named Erza said strictly. "Why do you always insist on these little shenanigans of yours? What have you got to say for yourself?"

Alu just bit her lips, tensed her whole body, and glared down at the floor, trying to ignore the piercing feeling she was getting from the harsh eyes of her mother and Fairy Tail's Titania.

Natsu and Happy were standing just a few feet away, watching the whole situation and keeping quiet. Natsu knew from past experience that it was his wife's turn to lecture their daughter, and that he should stay out of it unless he was asked to help.

"Alu, look at me!" Lucy said harshly, grabbing Alu's chin and forcing her to lift her face. "This has got to stop! Your dad and I can't keep chasing after you like this!"

"I didn't ask for any help!" Alu snarled with irritation, pushing her mother's hand away. "And I don't see why I should be the only one who has to stay on team jobs! Everyone else gets to have solo jobs! I'm not a child anymore!"

"But you most certainly are behaving like one." Erza rebuked. "And even through Makarov isn't here, this cannot go unpunished. You are absolutely forbidden to take a job of any kind for the next two weeks."

"Two weeks?!" Alu shrieked. "That's so not fair!"

"That's what you get for breaking rules." Erza narrowed her eyes. "Now enough of this and go on home."

"Why don't you just come out and say it, Erza?! You think I'm not good enough!" Alu accused, her voice just bursting with rage. "I know that's what everyone thinks! You think I'm too weak and useless to Fairy Tail! Admit it! You think I'm just some…some pathetic half-wizard!"

No one else noticed this, but the moment the last part escaped Alu's mouth, Natsu looked up at his daughter with alertness. It was now that he noticed something about her eyes. They were blazing with fury and...

Wait, what was forming in her eyes"That's enough, Alu!" Erza ordered, raising her voice. "Show some respect for your elders! I should warn you that if you should take any jobs during your restriction, then I will be forced to suspend you from the guild! Do you understand?!"

Alu's whole body was tense with a burning anger that she couldn't contain. Her scowl deepened and she gritted her teeth so hard that she felt like they were going to break.

Most people would've been afraid to talk back to the great and mighty Erza, the strongest female wizard in all of Fairy Tail. After all, she wasn't called Titania for nothing. And anyone who so much as yelled at her would soon regret it afterwards, as she would have them face down in the dirt in just one second.

However, Alu wasn't afraid of Erza. She had no problem talking back to anybody. Especially now that she was at her breaking point on her temper.

"FINE!" she screamed. "I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU THINK! I DON'T CARE AT ALL!"

Alu then turned and ran towards the entrance of the guild.

"Alu!" Natsu called out.

"Alu, you get back here right now and apologize!" Lucy ordered.

Alu ignored her parents. As the door opened, she bolted out. She nearly ran into Grey and his son, Ash, as they entered.

When the teenaged boy saw his pink-haired friend, a brief smile came across his face.

"Hey, Alu-"

Alu didn't stop. She didn't even notice Ash. She just rushed right past the boy and out into the city of Magnolia. For a moment, Grey and Ash stopped and looked out in the direction she headed.

"Whoa, what's up with her?" Grey asked.

"ALU!"

Grey and Ash turned back around to see Lucy running up to them. When she reached the entrance, she stopped and turned to Grey and with a look of ferocity in her eyes.

"Grey, why didn't you stop her?!" she shouted in his face.

"What are you yelling at me for?!" Grey shot back, stepping back a bit. "I only just got here!"

Before Lucy could reply, Ash quickly stepped in.

"Sorry, Lucy," he said calmly, "We didn't know Alu would be rushing out. Believe me, would've stopped her if we did. But she just zipped by us too fast."

Lucy only looked down at Ash for a brief moment before letting out exasperated sigh and bringing a hand up to her head. The frustration she had seconds ago seemed to slowly fade away. While she still had a hint of it left, she had at least managed to calm herself to think more clearly.

"I know, I'm sorry," she said sincerely. "I didn't mean to snap. It's just…"

"Let me guess," Grey frowned, crossing his arms over his chest, "Alu took another solo job without permission."

"That's not really any of your business, Grey." Natsu replied with a stern glare as he walked up to the group.

"But I'm right, aren't I, Natsu?" Grey narrowed his eyes in and smirked. "Not that I'm surprised. After all, she is the spitting image her father. It's only expected that she also inherited his bad habits. The apple doesn't fall from the tree, huh?"

"What's that suppose to mean?!" Natsu snapped.

"Just what you think it does, Pyro Breath." Grey replied coolly.

"If you got something say to me, Freezer Burn, then say it to my face!"

Ash stepped back as his father and Alu's father began to look as if they were going to brawl again. This wasn't unusual for them, but Ash knew from the past that the scuffles between Natsu and Grey tended to get a little too out of control and violent.

Still, being the peace-keeper that Ash was, he stepped in again to break it up.

"Well," he said quickly, "I wouldn't say that taking solo missions is a bad habit. I think Alu just likes a challenge. You know, a chance to hone her skills."

That got Natsu and Grey's attention off of each other. They along with Lucy turned to the teenaged boy and looked at him with unconvinced expressions. Ash glanced away awkwardly, knowing that they saw right through his explanation. Not that he brought up a convincing argument in the first place.

Erza confirmed his theory when she walked up to the group and said, "There's challenge, and then there's putting yourself in needless danger. I'm sure you know that, Ash. Alu may have good intentions, but I'm afraid she lacks common sense. She simply isn't strong enough to take on solo jobs."

Natsu frowned when Erza said that and immediately dropped the tension in his shoulders.

"It's a shame though." Grey admitted, sounding sympathetically disappointed. "After all, not many Wizards are born with two specific kinds of Magic. That must've taken a toll on her Magical strength."

"Well, Mom told us she was born with Water Magic." Ash pointed out. "And she's just as strong as you, Dad. After all, she is an S-Class wizard like the rest of you."

"Well, yeah," Grey answered, "but Juvia was born with only one kind of Magic Power. Alu was born with Celestial Magic and Dragon Slayer Magic. And considering Dragon Slayer Magic is a Lost Magic…"

Grey's voice trailed off. He was unsure of how to finish that sentence. It kind of spoke for itself, with or without an ending.

"Yes," Erza nodded grimly, "that is true. I know Alu wants to become a strong Wizard, and she does have a lot of ambition. But at this point…well, we must be honest: she is only at half-strength."

Natsu tightened his fists at that remark.

"Don't forget that's my daughter you're talking about," he said in a low tone.

Everyone turned to look at the Dragon Slayer wizard. Natsu looked back at everyone with unwavering belief in his eyes.

"I admit that Alu is too ambitious for her own good," he continued, "but I think I know why. She's convinced that we don't believe in her because she's only half strong in both of her Magical skills. She wants to show everyone that she's a capable wizard. I know perfectly well what that feels like. And after what that poser said to her today, I wouldn't be surprised if she feels that determination even more. And this might be just me, but I do think that one day she will succeed."

Lucy's face softened when she heard that. Natsu always had faith in their daughter. Even now, he was still showing that his belief that she would become strong one day was still very clear.

Still, she couldn't forget all the times Alu had gotten herself in trouble because of her desire to be a strong and powerful Wizard, regardless of her Magic Deficiency.

"I know what you're saying, Natsu," Lucy said quietly. "But Alu keeps insisting on these unauthorized solo jobs. I wouldn't mind it so much if they were simple jobs, but she always chooses the dangerous ones. You know she can't keep getting away with that. She's our only child. I do believe in her, but at the same time, if anything were to happen to her…"

Lucy grimaced and looked away. Natsu sensed her concern and gently wrapped his right arm around her, rubbing her shoulder for comfort. Although he didn't say it verbally, he was feeling the exact same thing she was.

Erza lowered her head and let out a deep sigh.

"I understand where you two are coming from," she said with empathy. "And I'm sorry that things had to come to this. But for now, let's just deal with the situation at hand and we'll see how it goes from there."

"Best plan on the whole, in my opinion." Grey nodded.

"Why should your opinion matter?" Natsu glared at the black-haired man. "Alu's not your daughter."

"Yeah, but she's still just like another Fire Dragon Slayer I know," Grey said sarcastically. "And as if one wasn't enough. Heh, and you thought having two Erzas was a nightmare back in Edolas."

"What was that?" Erza asked sharply.

"Nothing!" Natsu replied quickly, gritted his teeth.

Natsu let go of Lucy and stepped forward, ready to challenge Grey to another fight. The Ice Wizard responded to the nonverbal remark and began got prepare himself. But before the two could start their brawl, Lucy looked around and blinked when she noticed something.

"Hey, where'd Ash go?" she asked.

At the sound of that question, Natsu, Happy, Grey, and Erza all began to turn their heads in every possible direction. No matter where they looked, they couldn't see the young boy anywhere.

Ash was gone.

"I guess he must have slipped away when we were talking." Happy shrugged.

"But he didn't go inside the guild." Erza pointed out. "So where could he have gone?"

"I wouldn't worry about it too much." Gray said casually. "He's responsible enough. I'm sure he just went into town for something."

* * *

Grey was partially right. Ash did run into the city of Magnolia, but his business had nothing to do with the town. He was heading towards the East Forest beyond the town.

He knew that would be the most likely place where he would find Alu.


	3. Chapter 3: Opposites Attract

**Chapter 3**

 **Opposites Attract**

In about half an hour later, Ash was running through the East Forest at a steady pace. He could tell he was getting close to where he wanted to be because of the increasing sound of someone punching a tree, grunting, and ranting.

The voice of the upset person obviously belonged to a girl. And it was certainly a voice that Ash knew all too well.

It wasn't long until he came to a clearing and saw Alu punching the base of a tree. He looked closer at the tree trunk and noticed that there were two pieces of paper pinned to it with terribly drawn images of two people.

One of them appeared to be Erza. And the second one looked like Ur, Ash's twin sister.

Ash sighed and shook his head when he saw that. He hung back for a moment as he watched Alu beat up the pictures, ranting between punches as she did.

"STUPID ERZA!" Alu's voice was a vicious as a volcano. "TELLING ME…I CAN'T WORK FOR TWO STINKEN' WEEKS! AND STUPID UR! UGH! YOU'LL PAY…FOR RATTING ME OUT!"

Finally, Alu landed a solid punch on the image of Erza's face and stopped. She dropped the tension in her shoulders and shut her eyes. She twisted her face in pain and hung her head. The pain she was feeling wasn't anything physical. Even the soreness in her fists didn't bother her.

Sensing that this would be a good time to make himself known, Ash stepped out of the trees and walked forward.

"Have you blown off steam yet?" he asked.

Upon hearing his voice, Alu's eyes snapped open and she whipped around to see Ash standing just a few yards behind her.

Ash was a little taller than Alu herself. He had a lean build with some noticeable muscles that were beginning to show, particularly on his arms and torso.

Like his father, Grey, Ash had coal-black hair. However, there was a single streak of ocean-blue in his bangs, which he no doubt inherited from his mother, Juvia. He also had dark grey eyes and pale skin.

He was currently dressed in a light blue T-shirt with dark pants and black sneakers.

When Alu saw him, she gave a startled expression and her cheeks turned almost unnoticeably shade of pink.

"Ash!" she yelped. "Oh, hi!"

"Sorry," Ash said, smiling awkwardly and scratching the back of his head, "I didn't mean to startle you."

"Oh, no, you didn't startle me." Alu said quickly, gathering her senses. "I, uh, I just didn't know you there. So…what are you doing here?"

"Well," Ash said slowly, searching for the right word to use, "I saw you run out of the guildhall and you looked upset. I guess…I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

Alu frowned, "Am I willing to guess you heard about what happened today?"

"Yeah, your parents and Erza did mention it." Ash admitted.

Alu's face turned from disappointment to irritation.

"Geez!" she shouted, throwing her hands up in the air. "Those three are really getting on my last nerve! And two of them, I LIVE with! They just find every excuse to ground me! I'm sure if I spilled just a bottle of the guild's booze they would put me on a two MONTH restriction!"

"Well, you did take that solo job without permission again, didn't you?" Ash pointed out tentatively. "That was kind of asking for it."

"Don't you start on me either, Ash!" Alu snapped, shooting a scowl at the boy. "I get enough of that from my parents! I don't need it from you too!"

"Just calm down, Alu," the boy said mildly, raising his hands in a calming gesture. "I understand your upset, but beating up a tree that can't even fight back isn't going to help things. Why don't you tell me what's troubling you? I only want to help you."

The scowl of Alu's face lessened at those words. She then glanced down at the ground for a moment, holding her breath and flexing her fists a couple of times as she thought over what Ash said.

Finally, she let out her breath and turned her gaze back to her friend.

"I'm just frustrated and angry," she confessed, the honesty in her voice was noticeable, and also sharp in tone. "Is that so wrong?"

"No," Ash shook his head, "at least I don't think it is. Everyone gets like that. But you do seem to be angrier than usual. Honestly, I've never seen you this way before. Is there any reason why?"

Alu didn't answer. She looked away and bit her lips.

Ash sensed her hesitation and walked up to her. He then reached out and put his hand on her shoulder. She felt his gesture and flinched. She then looked up at him with a small look of surprise.

"Hey, let's go for walk." Ash suggested. "Maybe that will help clear things up for ya. What do you say?"

"Uh, sure." Alu nodded, her cheeks turning pink again. This time it was a little more noticeable, but Ash didn't seem to pay attention to that. Or if he noticed, he didn't say anything about it.

The two friends began to walk around the East Forest in an aimless manner. It didn't matter where they went, just as long they stayed within the forest. It was nice to stroll through the woods and listen to all the sounds of nature; from the rustling of the wind in the leafs, to the trickling of the water in the lakes and rivers, to the chirps of small animals up in the trees or scuttling across the earth.

For a while, Alu just looked down at her feet with a sullen expression. She knew that Ash was trying to help her, but she still felt uncomfortable talking about what was on her mind at the moment. And while Ash was her best friend, she wasn't even sure how he would be able to help her with the situation she was in.

As she thought over this, she glanced over at Ash. She watched as he used Ice Maker Magic to create a small crystal-clear Fairy Tail emblem. Alu smiled a little in admiration when she saw that. As much as she loved her own magic, she had to admit that Ash's magic was pretty amazing, too.

Ash noticed her watching him out of the corner of his eye, and decided to start the conversation again.

"So, listen," he said, fiddling around with the ice emblem he created, "I don't want you to feel like you have to talk to me, but I know that it's not a healthy thing to keep all your emotions bottled up. And if you have something you want to get off your chest, well…I just want you to know I'm here for you."

"I know, Ash." Alu replied in a low voice. "And I appreciate it."

There was a moment of silence.

Finally, Alu gave a sad expression.

"Ash," she said softly, "do you think I'm just a half-wizard?"

"No, of course not." Ash replied, looking over at Alu. "Why? Did someone call you that?"

Alu slowly nodded.

"It was the rogue wizard I confronted today," she grumbled. "He called me "Fairy Tail's little half-wizard"."

"Heh, that's not what the official guilds call you." Ash shrugged. "They call you "Fairy Tail's Little Terror"."

Alu just looked at Ash with an annoyed expression.

"Very funny," she grunted.

"Hey, it's their words, not mine." Ash replied, making his little ice emblem disappear. "So, did that guy say anything else about you?"

Alu looked away.

"Yeah," she said glumly, "he also said that my mom and dad were so unfortunate to have me as their child because I'm weak."

"Hey, that guy's a liar." Ash said firmly. "Have your parents ever shown seeing you as a misfortune? Far as I can tell, they certainly care about you a lot."

"Hmph," Alu grimaced, "yeah, they follow me around twenty-four seven and lecture me every time I take a solo mission with out approval. And did you know that my mom specifically asked Makarov to not let me go on any solo missions?"

"Uh," Ash blinked in surprise, "no, I didn't."

"Well, she did." Alu continued, her ire rising. "And what's worse is that Dad agreed with her. It's like they don't trust me enough. If they want me to become as strong as them, why do they always have to treat me like I'm still a child? I'm fourteen years old, going on fifteen. I should be allowed to go on solo jobs like you and the others. But my parents happen to be overprotective and think that I can't take care of myself just because I'm only half-strong in both Celestial Magic and Dragon Slayer Magic."

Alu's voice rose a little bit, and she sounded like she was having a difficult time getting her words out.

"I mean I'm a freakin' Dragon Slayer's kid for goodness sake! You'd think I'd be the most powerful mage in the guild! But I'm just…just…!"

Alu exhaled sharply and shut her eyes, unable to finish that statement. When she spoke again, she was very quiet and downhearted.

"Sometimes I feel like…just running away."

Ash looked at Alu for a moment with a sympathetic expression. He was sensing her frustration, and based on what he had heard from her, he was beginning the see the true source of it.

"Alu," he said calmly, "I'm sorry you feel that way. And I'm sorry that there's not much I can do to help with that, but I am curious as to why you always take solo missions. You can correct me if I'm wrong, but I noticed you mentioned something about your parents wanting you to be as strong as them. Did they ever say they wanted you to be just as strong as them? Have you ever considered the thought that they just want you to be you? And are you sure that just completing a solo mission will be enough to get them to trust you? Or anyone else in the guild for that matter? Because, no offense, but that sounds very…oh, what's the word…simple? I think it takes more than just completing a mission by yourself to gain trust and respect."

Alu didn't answer. She just glanced away.

That reaction was enough to tell Ash that he was on to something. Alu only did that whenever someone said something that was true, but she didn't want to admit it. Whatever Alu's reasons were for being rebellious, Ash was now sure that it had something to do with her wanting to gain her parent's trust, and possibly the respect of the Fairy Tail guild.

Of course, that also all depended on the girl's definitions of "trust" and "respect". Because based on what Ash had observed of her many times in the past, she and him seemed to have very different interpretations of those words and concepts.

"You know that Erza put me on a two-week restriction, right?" Alu spoke up, deliberately changing the subject. "I can't go on any missions for a while, solo or otherwise. Looks like you'll have to team up with someone else for a while."

Ash just smiled.

"That's okay," he said. "I needed a break from jobs anyway."

Alu looked up at him with surprise. What was he saying that for?

"Besides, going on missions without you wouldn't be the same." Ash continued. "We're Team Frozen Flames, aren't we? We need to stick together. And if you're on restriction, then I guess I could help you with your training. After all, it's better to hone your fighting skills if you have a partner to practice with. And we are close to perfecting that combo attack."

"You mean you want to take two weeks off to help me train?" Alu asked. "Are you sure about that? What about your sister?"

"Oh, she'll be fine." Ash shrugged. "I know Ur. She might be a little miffed about me helping you, considering that you two are constantly at each other's throats, but she'll get over it eventually."

It was then that Alu clenched her fists and scowled.

"Speaking of which," she snarled, "I still need to pay her back for blabbing on me."

"Alu," Ash said flatly, "for your information, Ur was out on a job with our mom since yesterday. And she's still not back yet. I doubt she was the one who told your dad about your whereabouts."

"Are you serious?!" Alu shrieked.

"Yeah." Ash nodded.

Alu tensed and mumbled some random sounds under her breath. She always did this whenever she was proven wrong about something she was sure was correct. Ash couldn't help but chuckle.

"So what do you say?" the boy asked. "You wanna turn your restriction into a two-week training session?"

Alu's mood quickly changed and she looked back at Ash with a confident grin.

"Sure," she replied. "Sounds fun. How about we start right now?"

"I was just waiting on you." Ash said, grabbing the bottom of his shirt.

"Oh, I see you're getting serious!" Alu playfully sneered.

"That's right: the shirt's comin' off!" Ash declared, throwing his shirt off and tossing it aside. "It might be a spar, but I'm not holding back!"

"Good, 'cause I'm not either!" Alu leapt back and took a fighting stance. "Now let's see what you got this time, Ice Wizard!"

"Bring it on, Dragon Slayer!"

With that, the two young wizards began to fight each other. Along with some kicks, punches, and acrobatic moves, they also threw a bit of their Magic around as well. Since this was a friendly match, they dialed down the force of their power just enough so that they wouldn't hurt each other too seriously. After all, this was mostly just for fun and they both knew it.

Not to mention, this was a great way for Alu to get her mind off things. If there was anyone who could make her feel better, and give her a match to fight against, it was Ash.


	4. Chapter 4: One of a Kind

**Chapter 4**

 **One of a Kind**

 _Later that evening…_

After Alu and Ash had gone through about six or so sparing rounds, they noticed that the sun had begun to set. This reminded the two of them that they had to return home before their parents came to find them. After saying good-bye, and after Ash gathered up his shirt, the two friends parted ways. Ash returned to the city of Magnolia since his home was in an apartment building in one of the districts, and Alu headed to the outskirts of the city.

Of course, Alu wasn't really in any hurry to get home. She took her time walking there. She purposely dragged her feet and kept her gaze down the whole time. She knew her parents were probably home by now, and that they were waiting for her to return. No doubt they were still angry with her about her little stunt today, and were going to lecture her about it some more. She really didn't want have to deal with that.

Heck, she didn't want to have to deal with her parents at all!

About an hour later, she was walking past the sign that signified that this was the Dragneel's house. Alu briefly cast her gaze on it. She then randomly remembered how that sign once said that this was Natsu and Happy house. Of course, that changed about sixteen years ago.

After Natsu and Lucy had married, the couple decided that Lucy would move into Natsu and Happy's house after the lease on her apartment was up. For a while, it was just a small, cozy little house. It was just right for a newly-wed couple just starting out.

The house had another section added onto it when it was clear that the little family was going to get bigger. That happened about a year after Natsu and Lucy were married and Lucy became pregnant with Alu. During those nine months, Natsu and some other members of the Fairy Tail guild built on the second section. From what Alu had been told, it was completed just two weeks before she was born.

At the same time, the old sign was replaced with another sign that said the house was the home of the Dragneel Family. Alu didn't know what happened to the old one, but knowing her father, he probably stashed it away somewhere since he most likely felt like it had some significant value to it. Natsu was always one to keep items that he felt had special memories too them. In fact, there was a whole wall in the house that was plastered with past job requests he had taken with Lucy and Happy in the past, as well as a collection of souvenirs he had collected from those missions.

At last, Alu came walking up the steps that led up to her house. As she reached the final step, a familiar voice that belonged to a man said,

"Nice timing, your mom's makin' dinner. Care to tell me where you've been?"

Alu stopped and looked up dryly to see her father sitting cross-legged on a rocky ledge just above her head.

Had he been sitting up there that whole time just waiting for her? Wouldn't surprise Alu if he had.

Natsu looked down at her with the same expression he had given her earlier that day. He wasn't mad at her, but he certainly showed that still he wasn't too pleased with her previous actions.

Alu glared at her father for only a moment before turning away and walking up to the house.

"So now you're giving me the silent treatment?" Natsu asked sarcastically.

"No," Alu replied sharply, not looking back, "I just don't have anything to say. And I don't want to end the day on another lecture. I already got an ear-and-an-half-full from Erza and Mom today."

"Well, you kind of asked for it." Natsu pointed out.

"Hmph."

Before Alu could take another step, Natsu got up, leapt down off the ledge and walked up to her. When she heard him coming, she stopped and turned her head around. At the same time, Natsu reached out a hand and grabbed her shoulder. It wasn't in a forceful manner, just enough to get her attention.

"Hey," he said, "let's go for a walk."

That made Alu pause for a moment.

"I thought you said Mom was making dinner?" she said.

"It's one of her complicated recipes." Natsu replied, grinning. "You know how long it takes her to make one of those."

Alu couldn't help but give a small smirk.

"Besides," Natsu's voice changed to a sincerer tone, "we won't go far. I just want to tell you something. And I promise that it won't be another lecture."

Alu narrowed her eyes suspiciously at that remark. If her father didn't want to lecture her on her actions today, then what was it that he wanted to tell her?

"Oh, alright," Alu said with a heavy exhale. "Might as well."

Together, father and daughter walked about half a mile away from the house before coming to a hill. They both stopped and sat down to look out over the landscape that stretched before them. The sun was already setting on the western horizon, tinting everything in rich red, orange, and yellow colors. Its warm rays shone down on Alu's face and seemed to seep into her skin, giving her a sense of empowerment.

Since the sun was another form of fire, and fire was part of Alu's Magic, it always made her feel strong. Just feeling its light, even on the hottest days, gave Alu courage and a sense of power.

"So," Natsu said, interrupting Alu's thoughts, "I guess you're wondering why I brought you out here."

Alu looked over at her father for a moment before looking away.

"I've got a hunch," she said plainly.

Natsu looked over at his daughter for a moment, and she turned her head away. Clearly, she was trying to avoid eye-contact with him. He closed his eyes and lowered his head for a moment. He then looked back to the setting sun.

"I don't know how to say this lightly," he said honestly, "but I overheard what that wizard said to you today when he captured you."

Alu jolted up with shocked eyes when she heard that. At the same time, those hurtful words from before stormed into her mind.

* * *

 _You're Fairy Tail's little half-wizard. It's a shame. You're the daughter of two S-Class wizards of Fairy Tail, yet your strength pales in comparison to theirs. How misfortunate they were to produce such a weak offspring like you."_

* * *

Alu scowled hard, baring her teeth. Down at her sides, her fists clenched so hard that she tore up handfuls of the grass underneath.

That was a clear sign to Natsu that he had struck a nerve in his daughter. He grimaced when he saw that. He really didn't want to make her angry, but it really couldn't be helped either.

"I know what he said was hurtful," he went on to say, "but it was also a lie."

"That so?!" Alu replied hotly. "I don't see how it was! Me running out of power and you having to save my butt didn't prove that guy wrong, did it?! That was rather "misfortunate", wasn't it?! If that's what you got to tell me then I'm out of here!"

Alu got up indignantly and was about to walk away when Natsu hastily got to his feet and grabbed her by the arm, forcing her to turn around to face him as he did. He then grabbed both of her shoulders and stared straight into her eyes. With the sunlight behind him, this effect gave him a very commanding appearance.

"Alu, listen to me." Natsu's voice was low and honest. "Don't think for one moment that your mom and I consider you a misfortune in anyway. That's a flat out lie."

Alu just stood where she was, feeling a strange and unnerving kind of vibe as her father spoke to her. It wasn't like he was angry or yelling at her, but just the way he was presenting his speech made feel like she had a hole in her stomach. It was almost impossible for her to even think of looking away now.

Her eyes staring intensely back into his was enough to tell Natsu that he had gotten her full attention.

"You're our daughter and we love you for who you are," he continued. "You know that, right?"

Alu frowned and cast her gaze down at the space between their feet.

"Mm-hmm," she said softly. Although it was obvious that she wasn't completely convinced.

Natsu then stepped forward and wrapped his arms around his daughter, hugging her close. Alu tensed for a second, as the gesture was unexpected. However, after feeling the strength and protection of his embrace, she let herself to relax. Part of her wanted to hug her father back, but her arms felt too weak and heavy to perform the action. Instead, she let them hang at her sides.

"That's not all I wanted to tell you." Natsu said, placing a hand behind Alu's head. "I wanted to tell you that you're more special than you think."

Alu's eyelids drooped as her father continued.

"You're the only Dragon Slayer to have been born with that Magic," he said. "Gajeel, Wendy and I were all trained by Dragons; Laxus had a Dragon Lacrima implanted inside of him; and Sting and Rogue from Sabertooth were trained by Dragons as well as having Dragon Lacrimas implanted in them. You're the only one of us who has been born with Dragon Slayer Magic, which makes you one of a kind. That is something you should be proud of."

Alu bit her lip to hold back her rising emotion and closed her eyes. A large part of her wanted to believe the words her father was telling her. She really wanted to believe all of it. But she couldn't help but feel as if something was still missing. She was proud of having been born with Dragon Slayer magic, she really was. She wanted to tell her father that, but the words couldn't seem to get past her thoughts.

It just…it didn't feel like that was enough.

But Natsu meant well and she knew that. So she kept her mouth closed. Instead, she just cherished the warmth of his fatherly embrace. Even though she couldn't find the will to raise her arms and hug him back, she didn't reject his.

Even if she never admitted it, Alu loved being hugged by her father. It always made her feel safe, like nothing bad could happen to her.

After a moment or two, a little voice called out from above.

"Hey, Natsu! Lucy's got supper ready and on the table!"

Natsu let go of his daughter and looked up to see Happy hovering just above them. Alu did the same when she heard the little Exceed.

"She sent me to get you guys." Happy explained. "We better hurry and get it while it's hot."

"Sure thing, buddy." Natsu nodded. "C'mon, Alu."

"Okay," the girl replied dryly.

As they all walked back to the house, Natsu and Happy trailed behind a little bit while Alu continued on at a steady pace. The reason for this was so that the two friends could talk in private. Since their conversation concerned Alu herself, they didn't want her to overhear it.

"Looks like Alu's calmed down a bit." Happy whispered. "You must've said something right to her."

"Heh," Natsu smirked, "just make sure you don't let it slip that you were the one who told me and Lucy about her little excursion today. You saw how angry she was when she thought it was Ur who told us. But you and Alu live under the same roof. And you know she can be fierce when she's angry."

Happy gave a nervous smile. He certainly knew how scary Alu could be when she was significantly enraged. She basically reminded him of a pink-haired Lucy when the Celestial Wizard was younger. The only difference was that Alu had Fire Dragon Slayer Magic at her disposal, which made her all the more terrifying.

"Anyway," Natsu's voice changed to more serious, "let's just drop the subject for tonight. The less we talk about it the better. So don't say a word about it, okay."

"Aye." Happy replied with a nod.

* * *

 _Later that night…_

After a quiet dinner of cooked fish, baked bread, and bowtie pasta – along with one stick of fire from the fireplace for each of the Fire Dragon Slayers for dessert – Alu went to her room, where she stayed for the rest of the night.

Sitting on her bed in the dark, with only the radiance of the moon coming in through the window as her only source of light, Alu looked down at her hands with a sad expression. In each of her hands were all of the Celestial Keys she had in her possession. Four of them were the Golden Keys of the Zodiac, and three of them were Silver Keys.

The Gold Keys consisted of Aries, Cancer, Gemini, and Capricorn. The Silver Keys were of Nikora, Pyxis, and Caelum.

Alu didn't have any immediate plans to use them at the moment; she just wanted to stare at them. For some reason, they always gave her a sense of comfort. It was like they were symbols to remind her that she was never alone.

Still, even looking at them wasn't easing her mind very much.

She was harkening back to what her father said to her earlier. Just something he said kept repeating over and over in her mind like a broken record.

* * *

 _"You're the only one of us who has been born with Dragon Slayer Magic, which makes you one of a kind. That is something you should be proud of."_

* * *

"One of a kind, huh?" she mumbled to herself. "Just because I'm born with Dragon Slayer Magic. Yet…I can't hold a candle to the other Dragon Slayers, let alone Celestial Wizards. What if Dad's wrong about me? What if…I really am just some half-wizard?"

Just considering that horrible possibility was enough to make tears well up in Alu's eyes. When she felt them threatening to stream down her cheeks, the girl gently placed her precious keys down on the bed and covered her eyes with one hand.

Although the door to her room was closed, and no one could see her, Alu was still ashamed that she was crying in silence.


	5. Chapter 5: Fairy Tail's Little Terror

**Chapter 5**

 **Fairy Tail's Little Terror**

The next day, Alu was sitting alone at one of the long tables in the Fairy Tail guildhall. Boredom clearly showed on her face, and she just draped over the table like student disinterested in a class discussion.

Natsu, Lucy, and Happy had just left on a job request and wouldn't be back until the end of the day; Ash went up to Mt. Hakobe with his father so he could learn a new Ice Make technique; and anyone else that Alu could hang out with had already gone off on job requests.

"Man, restriction sucks," the girl mumbled to herself. "If Erza hadn't threatened to suspend me from the guild, I'd be out of here by now."

It was then that a voice caught Alu's attention.

"Let me guess, you got busted again."

Alu simply gave an irritated expression. She lifted herself up and turned around to see who had spoken to her. It was a tall, brown-haired woman dressed in a bikini top with brown capris and black sandals. In her right hand was a large bottle of wine.

"Cana," Alu said unenthusiastically. "What do you want?"

"Heh, I've had warmer welcomes," Cana said in a slurred voice.

Alu wrinkled her nose with nauseous disgust and quickly turned away. She held her head as her strong sense of smell picked up a nasty pong of alcohol coming off of Cana. The scent was strong enough already, but with with the woman standing close beside her, the scent punched Alu in the face and gave her a headache.

"Ugh." Alu groaned, covering her nose. "Geez Cana, has anyone ever told you that you smell like ten breweries?"

"Hey, it's not my fault that the drinks here give off a stench." Cana replied nonchalantly. "Besides, what's it matter to you?"

"Because the smell that you always have on you gives me a headache, that's why." Alu replied with irritation. "Seriously, take Erza's advice and cut back on the beer."

"Yeah, right. Like I'd listen to a squirt like you." Cana said, waving her hand dismissively. "This is my drinking time, so just deal with it."

"Drinking time? Oh, please." Alu scoffed. "Every hour is your drinking hour. Heck, I'm surprised you haven't poisoned your liver yet. But it's going catch you some day."

"Well, when it does I'll collapse," the brunette woman said. "At least I don't try to get myself killed on missions. I'd rather be known as "Fairy Tail's Heaviest Drinker" than "Fairy Tail's Little Terror"."

Alu shot a glare at Cana before turning away with a scowl.

"And people wonder why you're still single," she grumbled.

Cana responded to that with a sharp look of her own.

"Watch it, kid; I'm single by choice," she frowned. "Besides, I'm not the one dating the son of my father's greatest rival."

Alu's face turned tomato-red with embarrassment and she leapt out of her seat to get up in Cana's face.

"Ash and I are not dating!" she yelled, flustered. "We're just best friends, got it?!"

"Whatever," Cana shrugged, "it's not of my business. Although that does remind me of your mom whenever people said she was in love with your dad. For so long she denied it. And look at those two now."

"Give me a break." Alu frowned, turning away and folding her arms across her front. "I have no romantic interest in Ash. I just like to hang around him and that's all. Now would you please leave me alone?"

"Fine, have it your way," the brown-haired woman replied casually. "I'm just going to get back to my drinking time. Have fun sulking."

And with that, Cana walked away.

Alu gave an aggravated grunt sat back down into the seat, still keeping her arms crossed. For a while, she just sat there with her eyes tightly shut and her lips pressed together. She was irritated enough already, but that little conversation only raised her ire even more. There had to be something fun she could do around here.

Then, like a spark of lightning, and idea popped into Alu's head. Her eyes slowly open as she thought over it for a moment. An impish grin spread across her face as she settled on the plan.

"Thanks, Cana," she said mischievously to herself. "You just gave me a great idea."

Although her mind was racing excitedly with this new idea, Alu casually got up from the table and began to walk down to a secluded part of the guild. As she did, she clutched at one of the keys on her belt. When she was out of sight of the other guild members, she took the key off the chain and held in her hand for a moment.

"I know you'll be more than happy to help me out with this one," she snickered. "Time to have some fun."

* * *

 _Later that day at sunset…_

Natsu and Lucy were walking side-by-side down the street with Happy gliding above them. All three looked tired and worn out, but they still kept walking. They had to report back to Master Makarov that they had completed their mission. Not to mention, Natsu and Lucy had to pick up their daughter from the guildhall.

"Oh man," Lucy sighed heavily, "no wonder the Master wanted us to take that job together. It might not have been an S-Class mission, but those bandits were certainly a handful."

"Yeah, no joke." Natsu grinned and shrug. "Still, we at least got the mission done. All's well that ends well, right?"

"Right." Lucy nodded. "I just hope Alu's okay."

"Knowing her, she's probably found something to do." Happy said. "I just hope it doesn't involve setting the guild on fire again."

"Oh, forbid!" Lucy groaned. "I don't to have to go through that again!"

The group then turned a corner and soon found themselves at the entrance to Fairy Tail.

"Well, it's still standing." Natsu pointed out. "That's a good sign."

However, the moment Natsu, Lucy, and Happy opened the doors and stepped inside the guild, they were forced to stop as Natsu was suddenly confronted with a very angry Master Makarov bellowing straight into his face.

"NATSU! WILL YOU EVER GET THAT KID OF YOURS UNDER CONTROL?!"

Natsu leaned away from the enraged man and shut his eyes, his spiky pink hair standing up on end even more than it already did. This confrontation wouldn't have been so bad if Makarov stayed in his midget form. However, he had used his Giant Magic to grow taller than Natsu himself. This made him very intimidating.

Needless to say, that was enough to tell both Natsu and Lucy that he was a little more than angry.

"SERIOUSLY!" Makarov continued to bellow, opening his mouth so wide Natsu could see his tonsils. "YOU LEAVE ALU ALONE FOR A FEW MOMENTS AND THE WHOLE GUILD SUFFERS FROM HER PRANKS!"

"Why?!" Natsu asked apprehensively. "What'd she do?!"

"I'll tell you what she did!" a female voice replied furiously.

Both Natsu and Lucy turned to see Cana marching up to them. They immediately noticed that she didn't have any alcoholic drinks on her. She was scowling so hard that Natsu was amazed her skin on her face didn't split apart.

"Cana?" Lucy blinked in worried surprise. "What happened?"

"That little rug-rat of yours stole all of the booze from behind the bar, that's what!" Cana replied fiercely.

Natsu and Lucy's eyes widened and their mouths dropped open. Happy cupped his paws over his mouth and tried as hard as he could not to laugh.

"She didn't!" Natsu said sharply.

"She did!" Cana scowled. "I don't know how she did it, but somehow she took every single alcoholic drinks from behind the bar and hid them somewhere!"

Lucy covered her eyes with her hand and groaned, "Oh, where is she now?"

"Right over here," deep, gravelly voice answered.

Natsu and Lucy turned to see a tall, black-haired man named Gajeel holding up two people by the scruffs of their vests. One of them was Alu herself, but the second person was someone who looked exactly like her, even down to the most minute detail.

Upon seeing the second Alu, and sensing the energy that was coming off of them, Lucy scowled with irritation and exclaimed,

"Gemini! You helped Alu on a prank like this?!"

The second Alu suddenly disappeared in a puff of blue smoke and revealed two little Celestial Spirits that were nearly identical in appearance. They were both light blue and had two antennae on their heads. However, the one called Mini wore orange pants and had a smiling "V" for her mouth, while the other called Gemi wore black pants and had and upside down "V" for his mouth.

"It was just a bit of harmless fun, Lucy." Gemi said cheerfully.

"That's right," Mini replied in the same tone. "Besides, Alu's our key holder now."

"I didn't give your key to her just so you could help her with her pranks!" Lucy replied irritably.

"Piri -Piri," was all the twin spirits said in response before disappearing back to the Celestial World.

With those two gone, Alu was left on her own. However, for someone who had just been caught in the act of a prank, she didn't look too worried. She just kind of looked put out.

"I caught her carrying three bottles down to the basement." Gajeel explained, carelessly letting go of Alu's vest. "Was kind of surprised at first since I saw her just seconds ago by the door. But once I saw her downstairs, I figured out what was going on. Still, she must have been at it for a while. Nearly all the liquor behind the counter is gone."

Natsu groaned and face-palmed himself. He could just feel every eye in the guildhall glaring at him and his family. It was easy to see that they were all angry about having their drinks taken from them. While he and Lucy didn't have anything to do with it, they were guilty by relation to the one who did steal the drinks.

"Took you all long enough to find out it was me." Alu sneered, looking like she was pleased with herself. "Although considering how everyone loves that nasty stuff, I'm not surprised you were too brain dead to figure it out sooner. I was just doing you a favor."

"I wouldn't push my luck if I were you, kid." Gajeel warned, glowering. "You're in enough trouble as it is."

"Well, you're not me, are you?" Alu rebuked. "Grunkle Gajeel."

Gajeel stiffened in annoyance at that name while nearly everyone else in the guild snickered. Just seeing the mighty Black Steel Gajeel get ticked off by a little girl like Alu was always funny to watch.

"HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU NOT TO CALL ME THAT?!" the Iron Dragon Slayer bellowed.

"You should've figured out by now that I don't listen," Alu replied snobbishly.

"That's enough, Alu!" Lucy said firmly as she walked up to her daughter. "Why in the world would you do something like this?!"

"'Cuz I was bored." Alu replied flatly. "There was nothing better to do so why not? It was just a prank. Geez, no one around here can take a joke."

"Don't you take that tone with me, young lady!" Lucy scolded. "Now you're going to apologize to everyone, and you're going take all of the drinks you hid and bring them back up here, AND you're not going to complain about it! Understood?!"

Alu frowned, staring at her mother with fierce intensity. Lucy stared back at her daughter with just the same amount of tension. Finally, Alu shut her eyes and dropped her shoulders, exhaling gruffly.

"Fine," she grumbled loud enough for everyone to hear her. "I'm sorry. I'll bring the drinks back up."

Alu then began to walk away.

"You better!" Cana snapped as Alu walked past her. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm dying of thirst here!"

Alu stopped and turned around quickly, giving the brunette woman a near-death glare.

"Just shut your face for once!" she snarled.

Cana stepped back and fell silent. As did everyone else in the guild.

Alu then stormed off begrudgingly.

Makarov exhaled with exasperation and turned to look at Natsu.

"Natsu," he said, "I want to speak with you and Lucy in my office."

* * *

A few minutes later, Natsu and Lucy were standing in the middle of Master Makarov's office. The little grey-haired man had his back to them and was looking out a large window.

"I'm sorry, I just don't know what to do with that girl." Makarov sighed heavily.

"No, we're sorry, Master." Lucy said, looking down at her feet. "We don't know what's gotten into Alu lately."

Makarov turned to look at the two wizards. His expression was a solemn one.

"I understand," he said in low voice. "But you know I consider everyone in this guild as my children. That said, I have to consider the well-being of all of them. While Alu hasn't done anything to jeopardize anyone in the guild, this behavior of hers is getting out of control. I'm sure you both can sympathize being parents yourselves."

Natsu and Lucy looked at each other.

"Yeah," Natsu admitted, "but we only have one kid."

"I know," Makarov nodded slowly, "but you still understand where I'm coming from. I'm afraid I'm left with no choice. If Alu pulls another stunt like this again, then I will be forced to suspend her from the guild until further notice."

Natsu looked down at the Master with alarm.

"Whoa, hold on Gramps!" he said. "Don't you think that's a little too harsh?! I mean, you said so yourself that she hasn't endangered anyone!"

"That may be," Makarov replied calmly, "but I'm sure even you can agree that her behavior is going too far."

"Yeah, I know but still!" Natsu continued. "Alu just wants to prove that she's a Fairy Tail wizard! You really think suspending her is going to help?! She's already miffed about not being able to enter in the S-Class trials as either a contestant or the partner of one! Not to mention, the Grand Magic Games! I just don't see how suspending her would be a good idea! If anything, it'll make things worse! I know Alu! And I think the only reason she's like this now is because of what that rogue wizard said to her the other day!"

Makarov grimaced. He had also heard of the incident with the rogue Dark Guild wizard.

"I understand what you're saying, Natsu," he said in a low voice. "And it hurts me to have to consider that option, but I don't see any other way. When Alu isn't putting herself in danger, she's disrupting the lives of our other guild members. She has to learn that she can't get away with that."

"But Gramps-!"

"I'm doing this for her own safety as well, Natsu!" Makarov said forcefully. He then immediately softened his tone. "I know she wants to become and S-Class wizard. But I'm sorry. Alu was born with a Magic Deficiency. Both you and Lucy know that."

Natsu fell silent. Lucy looked at her husband for a moment, clasping both of her hands together in a kind of silent distress. He had pretty much said what she was thinking, but she couldn't quite find it in her heart to believe those words.

"It's pains me to say this," the Master said sadly, "but…I'm afraid she'll never be strong enough to become an S-Class wizard."

Natsu scowled at that statement while Lucy lowered her head.

Just then, Natsu's ears twitched as he picked up the sound of movement outside the door. He turned around just in time to see a purple cloth brush past a small opening in the doorway. At the same time, he heard light footsteps running down the hallway shortly after that.

He immediately realized that it was Alu. He didn't need to smell her scent to know that. It was definitely his daughter.

And he knew she had overheard everything.

"Oh, no," he whispered to himself.

* * *

Alu ran out of the guildhall and down the streets of Magnolia as fast as her legs could carry her. All the while, tears brimmed her eyes and threatened to fall with each step she took. She fought them back with every once of resistance she had. She wouldn't let anyone see her cry. But the ache in her chest was soon becoming a physical pain that was trying to squeeze those tears out of her.

As she ran, her mind yelled with hurtful thoughts.

 _"They don't believe in me! No one believes in me! Not even the Master! I was right! They just think I'm…A HALF-WIZARD!"_

As Alu reached the edge of the town, she shut her eyes. Her tears began to flow down her cheeks and were carried away by the wind.

Alu's mind screamed with pain-induced anger, _"I HATE THEM!"_


	6. Chapter 6: Reminiscing

**Chapter 6**

 **Reminiscing**

 _Later that night…_

There was a gentle knock at Alu's door.

Lucy waited for a moment before slowly opening it and coming into the room. In her right hand, she was carried a plate full of food along with a glass of water balanced carefully on a free space. The only source of light in the room was the lamp on Alu's nightstand. Other than that, her room was mostly dark.

Lucy frowned sadly when she saw her daughter lying on her side on her bed in the corner, facing the wall.

"Hey," Lucy said kindly, "I brought you some supper, in case you were hungry."

Alu didn't move. She just briefly glanced up and pictured her mother's face in her mind's eye. She then went back to looking at the wall with a dull expression.

Lucy sighed heavily and set the plate of food and glass of water down on the desk in the corner. She then walked over to Alu and sat down on the edge of her bed. Alu still didn't make any notion to look at her mother, even after Lucy put a gentle hand on her shoulder and rubbed as lovingly as a mother could.

"So listen," the blonde-haired woman said, "things…got out of hand today. I'm sorry for yelling at you. I didn't mean to get so angry."

Alu didn't answer. She just narrowed her eyes a bit.

Lucy lowered her head, "I see, you want some alone time. Well, your father and I will be here if you need anything. I'll leave your dinner here in case you get hungry."

Alu just gave a soft moan, giving a small acknowledgment that she was at least listening.

Lucy slowly got up and walked out of the room, closing the door softly behind her.

Alu waited for a minute before turning over and swinging her legs over to the side of the bed and sitting up. She sat there for a moment before looking up at the food her mother had brought in. She sighed when she saw that it was fried chicken, one drumstick and one wing. She got up and walked over to her desk. She stopped and stared at the food before grabbing the drumstick and bringing it up to her mouth. Since some time had passed since Lucy had finished preparing it, the chicken was now mildly warm. Still, Alu began to take little bites out of the chicken and chewed them with a disinterested expression.

After she had finished her meal, she set down the remains of the wing she had just finished eating and looked up in interested alert.

For it was at that moment that she began to hear voices outside her door. She knew right away that they belonged to her parents.

Most people probably would've been courteous enough not to eavesdrop on other people's conversations. However, Alu had a habit of eavesdropping. She just had a need to know what others were talking about. Most of the time that led to her hearing things that she wished she hadn't, and other times she picked up information she could use to blackmail someone later if she chose to.

But at the moment, she was just curious as to what her parents were talking about. Mostly because she had a confident suspicion that it had something to do with her.

Alu crept towards her door and silently opened it just a crack. Thanks to her Dragon Senses, her keen sense of hearing easily picked up the sounds of her mother and father's voices.

"I just don't know what we're going to do with her." Lucy's voice said with a hint of stress. "She never acted this way before."

"I feel the same way as you, Lucy." Natsu's voice replied. "I wish I could say it's just some kind of teenager phase, but I think you and I know better than that."

"Hmm," Lucy replied sadly. "It's just…I don't ever remember Alu being this rebellious before. I mean, sure, she's always been a go-getter, but she never pushed us away like she does now. She was so sweet and cheerful when she was little. She always wanted to make sure everyone was alright."

There was a short pause. Then Lucy then gave a soft giggle.

"What's so funny?" Natsu asked.

"Oh, I was just thinking." Lucy said. "Do you remember that time we took a train ride to Hargeon?"

"We've taken lots of train rides to Hargeon." Natsu stated bluntly.

"I'm talking about when Alu was four." Lucy explained. "It was before Wendy invented the Troia pills and you always got motion sick."

There was a short silence as Natsu thought back to that event.

Hearing about that made Alu start to probe her own memory. She had a few vague memories of her childhood. There were like little snippets of a big picture. She did remember a few train rides she had taken with her family. At the same time, there were so many of them that they all seemed to run into each other.

Which train ride was Lucy talking about?

"Oh!" Natsu finally laughed. "NOW I remember! You're talking about the time when we took Alu on her first mission!"

"Yeah," Lucy replied, sounding grateful, "It was just a simple job to deliver some fish to a nearby grocery, so we took Alu with us. Alu was so worried about you got motion sick that she tried to help."

"Yeah." Natsu said, sounding like he was grinning awkwardly. "Well, it was the thought that counted."

Alu shut her eyes and pinched her eyebrows together. She had a hazy memory of what they were talking about. Something to do with what happened on the train and her father getting motion sick.

When the memory became more clear, her eyes snapped open.

* * *

 _Ten years ago…_

 _Alu was sitting on her mother's lap as she and her family were preparing to head out of Magnolia station. She was looking out the window with a huge smile on her face, and her hands pressed up against the glass. She was about to on her first job with her parents, and she very excited. Although she wasn't going to do a lot of work, she was at least going to get the chance to see how her parents do jobs in Fairy Tail._

 _That alone was enough to make her happy._

 _However, shortly after the train pulled out of the station, she heard the sound of her father groaning in discomfort. She looked over with wide-eyed concern to where Natsu and Happy were sitting, which was the seat just across from her and her mother. She blinked when she saw that her father was leaning against the windowsill with a pained expression on his face and his arms were wrapped tightly around his stomach._

 _This surprised her. She had never seen her father like this before._

 _"Mommy," Alu said in her little four-year-old voice, looking up at her mother, "what's wrong with Daddy?"_

 _"Oh," Lucy replied gently, "your dad just has a bad case of motion sickness. It's common in all Dragon Slayers."_

 _"Motion sickness?" Alu questioned, cocking her head in curiosity._

 _"Basically he gets sick whenever he rides on things like trains or vehicles." Happy explained. "The rumble of the tracks or road makes him want to throw up."_

 _"Happy!" Lucy scolded._

 _"What? It's the truth," the blue Exceed replied with a shrug._

 _Alu frowned at that explanation._

 _"Ugh." Natsu groaned, trying to hold in the bile that was threatening to force its way up his throat. "That's putting it mildly. Man, where's Wendy when you need her?"_

 _"Sorry pal," Happy smiled weakly, "but you know that Troia spell doesn't work as well as it did before. I'm sorry, but you're just going have to stomach it until we get Hargeon."_

 _"At this rate, I'm not sure I'll even HAVE my stomach at the end of all this." Natsu said, tightening his grip around his middle and shutting his eyes as he fought off another wave of nausea._

 _Seeing her father in great deal of pain made Alu feel sorry for him. She wanted to do something to help him. But she wasn't like the Sky Dragon Slayer, Wendy. Alu couldn't heal her father through means of Magic. Still, the little pink-haired girl didn't want to just let him sit there in discomfort._

 _Then an idea came to her._

 _Giving thoughtful smile, Alu squirmed out of her mother's arms and off her lap._

 _"Oh, Alu?" Lucy said, unsure of what her daughter was doing._

 _Alu then went over to her father's seat and hoisted herself up. Happy moved aside to give her more room, looking at her with curiosity._

 _Natsu then felt something small and warm snuggled up against his left side and wrapped its little arms around him as far as they could go. He opened his eyes and looked down at Alu as wriggled her arm underneath his own. He lifted them up a bit when he felt her starting to tenderly rub his abdomen._

 _"Uh, Alu?" he questioned rigidly._

 _"You and Mommy always hug me when I'm sick." Alu looked up with a bright smile, her eyes sparkling with such child-like innocence. "Maybe I can help settle your tummy."_

 _Natsu blinked. He then did his best to gently smile and stiffly wrapped his arm around his daughter._

 _"Uh, thanks," he said, his voice still a little strained. "And you know…I think I'm starting to feel better already."_

 _Alu closed her eyes, nuzzled her face up against her father's side, and proceeded with what she was doing before. Natsu looked up at Lucy, who smiling at both of them. However, the moment the she saw Natsu's face, she immediately gave a worried look. Happy noticed it as well and gave nervous kind of grin._

 _The expression on Natsu's face was practically screaming, "_ _Get this kid off of me before I blow chunks!_ _"_

 _Lucy quickly nodded in response. She knew just want to do._

 _"Good girl, Alu," she said, trying to sound casual, "I think you've helped your father out enough. Why don't you come back over here?"_

 _"Okay, Mommy!" the girl nodded excitedly._

 _Alu let go of her father and immediately scrambled off the seat. She then rushed over into her mother's waiting arms. Lucy bent over and lifted Alu back onto her lap._

 _While her back was turned, Natsu gave a small sigh of relief. But the moment his daughter turned of face him again, he mustered up all the strength he could to give a smile of gratitude. Alu responded by grinning gleefully back at him._

 _Natsu knew he would have to pretend to be fine for a while, or else risk her doing the same thing again. And the last thing he wanted right now was a little person hugging him tightly._

 _Still, it was the thought that counted. Alu meant well and he knew it. He just had to keep telling himself that and keep on a brave face until they got to Hargeon._

* * *

 _Back to the present…_

Alu blinked a few times as the memory lingered in her mind for a while.

When she thought about it, she turned a little red in the face out of embarrassment and she twisted her lips. She was now sure that she did absolutely nothing to help her father. If anything, she probably made things worse. Although, if she did, he did a good job in hiding it.

Not to mention, he didn't reject her or tell her that she was doing anything wrong. Neither Natsu or Lucy gave any disappointed faces. They looked proud of Alu for at least trying to help.

Alu rarely saw that on their faces anymore. Nowadays, they looked either disappointed or discouraged with her. And the times they did smile felt more like out of pity, or as an attempt to make her feel better for only a few hours.

What made it hurt all the more was that Alu could remember how she felt that day. She enjoyed sitting on her mother's lap with her arms wrapped around her. And she remembered her father's warmth when she embraced him.

It made her feel happy just to be with them.

But now, that emotion seemed so distant from her. Like it was something from a dream that she couldn't resume.

Lately, she just wanted to be away from her parents.

Where did it all go wrong? How did that all change? Alu just didn't know.

Upon thinking this, Alu suddenly felt so alone. She brought arms up and hugged herself for comfort. She closed her eyes and fought back the tears that were beginning to form. Part of her wanted to go out to her parents, but her body couldn't seem to obey her brain's thought. Given what happened today, it just didn't feel right. It was like there was a large gap that she couldn't bridge no matter how hard she tried. Whenever she would try, it would just get bigger.

She just couldn't face parents now.

As she thought of this, the sound of Lucy's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"I just wish…I want to know where we went wrong. I can't help but feel like we did something to make Alu angry."

Alu looked up at the crack in the door with an ambiguous look in her eyes, her attention back on the conversation.

"Sorry I can't answer that." Natsu's voice replied. He sounded serious. "All I know is that she's frustrated and it has something to do with what that rogue wizard said to her. We can tell her what he said was lying, but I don't think she's going to believe us until she can prove it wrong herself."

Natsu paused for a moment before saying, "And I know she heard what Gramps said to us. That really must've hurt."

Alu gave a painful scowl. That was an understatement.

Lucy groaned. She then gave a tired yawn.

"Oh, sorry." Lucy said drowsily. "I'm just exhausted. Think I'll turn in early."

"I don't blame ya." Natsu replied. "Summoning three spirits at a time AND using Star Dress today? I bet that would take it out of me, too."

"Well, I had to do what I could. After all, given that we were surrounded by water and I couldn't…"

Lucy's voice trailed off and she fell silent.

Alu looked up with suspicion and strained to hear what was going on. Judging by the sounds, she guessed that her father had just sat down on the couch next to her mother and had embraced her out of comfort. And it sounded like she had returned the embrace.

"You're thinking of Aquarius, aren't you?" Natsu said compassionately.

There was a pause. But the name that Natsu had mentioned made Alu jerk slightly in alert. It sounded…familiar.

"I miss her." Lucy replied in a slightly tearful voice. "I know it was the only way to save you and the others, but…"

Lucy grimaced and shivered from a bitter memory, unable to bring herself to repeat it. From what Alu could gather, it sounded like a lot of effort for her not to shed a single tear.

At least Lucy had a shoulder to cry on.

"I know," Natsu said in a low voice. "But remember, it was a sacrifice she was willing to make. You can't blame yourself for breaking her key. It wasn't your fault."

Lucy just responded with a simple moan.

"But she promised that we would meet again," the Celestial Wizard said softly. "We've searched everywhere for her new Key, but we haven't found it yet."

"We'll find it some day." Natsu encouraged. "I promise you that."

Feeling like she had heard enough, Alu gave a very pensive expression and quietly closed the door, making sure that her parents didn't hear her. She couldn't quite explain it, but that last part of the conversation really caught her interest. Almost immediately, her brain was beginning to think about what she just overheard.

 _"Aquarius,"_ she thought to herself. _"Where have I heard that name before? And a broken key? I feel as if I should know something about that. Oh, where did I hear about this? C'mon Alu, think."_

She brought her hand up to her head and shut her eyes, searching through all of her memories for anything that related to the name Aquarius. She had some hazy recollection that Aquarius had something to do with water, and that the name belonged to a Zodiac Spirit.

Unfortunately, Alu was drawing a blank on the rest of it. She knew that she had heard Aquarius's name before, and that she had heard a story about a broken Celestial Key. But where?

Alu looked over on her desk at her own set of Celestial Keys and walked over to them. She took Aries key off the of the keychain and held it in her hand for a moment.

"I might not have a contract with Crux," she whispered, "but you've always helped me out in the past, Aries. And being a Zodiac Spirit, you might know something about this. Hopefully that is. Of course, if I summon you now, Mom will sense it and think I'm up to no good again. I'll have to wait until later tonight when she and Dad are both asleep. I don't know why, but I have a feeling that this whole broken key thing is important somehow."


	7. Chapter 7: The Broken Key

**Chapter 7**

 **The Broken Key**

It was around ten thirty at night when Alu opened her door just a crack. She had been quiet for a long time, hoping that she would fool her parents into thinking she was asleep. And it seemed to have worked, for neither one came into her room the entire evening.

But for Alu - who couldn't sit still for very long - that was the most agonizing wait of her life. She hated being still for so long with nothing to do. It made her feel like she was trapped in a cage where boredom was the torture method.

At least it was over now.

Now, Alu was listening for the definite sign that both of her parents were sleeping.

And that sign was the sound of her father snoring and nothing else. Alu gave a grimaced smirk when her sensitive hearing picked up the sound of Natsu snoring loudly. He sounded like a Magic mobile with a bad motor.

 _"Geez,"_ Alu thought to herself, _"I'm amazed Mom can sleep through that. I can hear it from all the way down hall. Then again, I have Dragon hearing and Mom doesn't. So that might make a bit of a difference, but still. Anyway, now's a good time to summon Aries. Even if Mom's not asleep, Dad's snoring should cover up any noise I make."_

After closing the door with the utmost care, Alu walked into the center of her room.

She then held out Aries key and commanded in a low voice, "Open, Gate of the Golden Ram. Aries."

The Zodiac Key glowed golden yellow for a moment before Aries appeared in a puff of pink smoke.

Aries was about as tall as Alu herself. She had snowy white skin, purplish-brown eyes, cotton-candy pink hair that fluffed out at the end, and two twisted brown horns on each side of her head. She wore a woolly tube-dress with matching boots that went up to her knees along with yellow leggings.

"Good evening, Alu," Aries said in a soft, cute voice. "Is something you need me to do for you?"

"Hey, Aries." Alu smiled brightly when she saw her friend. "Great to see you again. But if you don't mind, could you please keep your voice down? I don't want to wake my parents up."

"Oh, yes of course!" Aries replied in a whisper, becoming flustered. "I'm sorry! I'll keep quiet!"

"Whoa, relax," Alu whispered calmly, "it's not that big of a deal. I just had a question to ask you."

Upon hearing that, Aries looked up at Alu with curiosity.

"Oh, well, I'm sorry if this is rude, but I would think you'd summon Capricorn for something like this," she replied tentatively.

"Yeah," Alu shrugged, "but its been a while since I've summoned you. Besides, I think you could help me on a question like this. I'm sure Capricorn would understand."

Alu then looked bitterly down at the ground and grumbled, "Not to mention, summoning Capricorn takes a lot of my Celestial Magic. And I exhausted a lot of it on Gemini today."

"I see." Aries nodded. "Well, what is it you wanted to ask me?"

Alu looked Aries straight in the face.

"Do you know a Zodiac Spirit by the name of Aquarius?" she asked.

The moment Alu said that name, Aries jolted in surprise. She then stared at the young human girl with wide eyes.

"Um…" she hesitated. "I'm sorry, but did you say…Aquarius?"

"Yeah." Alu nodded slowly. "I overheard my mom mentioned something about Aquarius and a broken key earlier. I kind of remember something about the two having a connection, but I can't seem to recall what it is. I was hoping you could help jog my memory. Like, do you know how they are connected?"

Aries looked down for a moment began to fidget uncomfortably. She held her arms up in front of her body with uncertainty as she searched for the right words to say.

"Well," she said shyly, "I don't know how much I can help you, because I wasn't there when it happened. But I do remember hearing that Lucy had to break Aquarius's key to summon the Celestial Spirit King when Tartaros attacked and…!"

This time, Alu was the one who jolted in alert.

Tartaros! She had heard it before!

"Wait, now I remember!" Alu suddenly exclaimed, almost forgetting to keep her voice down.

* * *

 _Eight years ago…_

 _A six-year-old Alu was in her parents' room, rummaging around in her mother's dresser drawers. Every now and then, she would pull out something like a necklace or bracelet and put it on herself to see what it looked like. She opened of different jewelry boxes and pulled out all kinds of beautiful things like pearl necklaces, bracelets ordained with diamonds or other gemstones, and dainty little earrings._

 _Of course, they were all made of imitation pearls, diamonds, and gemstones. But as a little six-year-old, Alu couldn't tell the difference between what was real or fake._

 _It wasn't long before she decked herself out in twelve different bracelets and had about seven different necklaces around her neck. The only things she left alone were the earrings._

 _Eventually, Alu picked up a small wooden box that had water waves ornately carved all over it. She opened the lid and expected to find a pair of earrings or a diamond ring._

 _But to her surprise, the box contained something that looked like a golden key hilt with a strange blue insignia on it._

 _Blinking in curiosity, Alu took it out of the box and held it in her hand for a moment or two. She turned in over and over, studying ever single detail and trying to makes sense of what she was holding._

 _"What's this?" she asked out loud._

 _"Oh, Alu!" a voice laughed._

 _Alu turned around when she heard her name called and saw her mother standing in the door way. Lucy had an amused smile on her face when she saw that the little girl was decorated with her jewelry. She shook her head and sighed. She then walked over to Alu and began to gently take all the jewelry off of her._

 _"Honestly," Lucy said with a laugh, "if you wanted to borrow some of my jewelry, you should've just asked. That is the polite thing to do."_

 _"I'm sorry, Mommy." Alu said. "I just wanted to see if I could be as pretty as you."_

 _Lucy looked up at Alu with surprise before giving a modest smile. She then placed a hand on the side of her daughter's face._

 _"You're very pretty the way you are, sweetheart," she said._

 _Alu smiled at the compliment._

 _She then suddenly remembered the key hilt she was holding._

 _"Hey, Mommy," she said. "Can you tell me what this is? I found it in that little box and I was just wondering what it is."_

 _Alu offered the broken key to her mother. The moment Lucy saw what Alu had found, she gave a sharp gasp and cupped a hand over her mouth. Tears began to brim her eyes._

 _"Mommy," Alu frowned with concern, "are you okay?"_

 _Lucy closed her eyes and wiped her tears away. When she opened her eyes again, she gently took the key hilt out of Alu's little hands. She stared at it for a long while before taking in a deep breath._

 _"I'm surprised you found this," she said in a sad tone. "But…I guess I was going to tell you eventually."_

 _"Tell me what?" Alu asked._

 _Lucy stood up and walked over to the large bed behind her. She sat down on the edge of it and ushered for Alu to come over. Alu obeyed and took a seat next to her mother. Lucy looked as if she was about to speak, but then hesitated._

 _"Mommy?"_

 _Finally, Lucy took in another deep inhale of air and looked down at the key hilt resting in the palm of her hand._

 _"Alu," she said softly, "do you remember when your father and I told you about the Tartaros invasion?"_

 _"Uh-huh." Alu nodded._

 _"Well, this is connected to that." Lucy continued, her voice getting more and more emotional with every word she spoke. "Your father, along with many others, were being held prisoner by several of the Demons that attacked us. When I was the only one left to save them, I used this key to summon a Zodiac Spirit called Aquarius the Water Bearer, in hopes that she could help. Unfortunately, neither she, nor Loke or Virgo, were strong enough to defeat the Demons we faced. Aquarius told me the only way to stop Tartaros was to summon the Celestial Spirit King. However, he does not have a key of his own. So the price was to break a Zodiac Key. And Aquarius…she told me to…"_

 _Lucy stopped for a moment and brought her hand up to her mouth. She began to tremble as she fought back the urge to cry._

 _Alu didn't need her mother to tell her the rest of what happened. For the evidence was right in front of her. She had to break Aquarius's key to summon the Celestial Spirit King._

 _Sensing her mother's emotional pain, Alu scooched over closer and hugged her. Lucy looked down at her daughter and wrapped one arm around her, kissing her on the head at the same time._

 _"I'm sorry, Mommy." Alu said caringly, looking up at Lucy with compassion in her eyes. "Aquarius must've been very special to you."_

 _Lucy nodded, "She was my very first Celestial Spirit. And my first friend. Although I have to say, she was really temperamental. There were times when she would get miffed with me and threaten to wash me away with the tide more than once. Still, she was still a loyal friend, even if she did say she hated me."_

 _Alu looked up with befuddlement and blinked. That didn't sound like a loyal friend to her. Since when does a loyal friend say that they hate your guts to your face unless it was out of playful banter? And given what Lucy had told her, Alu didn't think that Aquarius didn't just say that out of playful banter._

 _Lucy noticed Alu's reaction and gave a small laugh._

 _"I'm sorry," she said, "I was just thinking on the past. Don't worry about what I said. You'll understand when your older."_

 _Alu's response to that was a pouty face. That only made Lucy laugh even more._

 _"You know, Alu," she giggled, "you look just like your father when you make that face."_

 _"You guys talkin' about me?"_

 _Alu and Lucy both turned around and saw Natsu leaning up against the side of door, looking at the two of them with his signature grin._

 _"No," Lucy replied with a smile, "just reminiscing on the past. Something wrong?"_

 _"Nah," Natsu shook his head, "just came to get Alu. I promised I'd teach her hand-to-hand combat today."_

 _"Oh yeah, that's right!" Alu exclaimed. "Let's go right now!"_

 _Alu quickly got up, ran across the bed and jumped off of it, landing directly in front of him._

 _"Okay, kiddo." Natsu laughed. "Here we go."_

 _Natsu then bent down and picked Alu up by her waist. She laughed at the thrill of being lifted up and wrapped her arms around his neck after he adjusted her securely in his arms._

 _"Just be careful with her, Natsu." Lucy cautioned. "Remember, she's still just a little girl."_

 _"Oh, don't worry so much, Lucy." Natsu replied nonchalantly. "Don't forget, Alu's a Dragneel. She's as tough as they come."_

 _"That's right!" Alu declared proudly. "I'm a Dragneel! I can take a hit!"_

 _"That may be true," Lucy said, putting her hands on her hips, "but I still don't want you to get yourself hurt. And Natsu, I don't want you getting too rough with her. She's our only child after all."_

 _"Don't worry," Natsu shrugged casually, "it'll just be some basic techniques and exercises. I promise we won't do any direct contact."_

 _"Aw, c'mon, Daddy!" Alu whined. "I want to learn how to really fight! I can do it!"_

 _Natsu looked at his daughter with a smirk._

 _"Think of it this way," he said, "once you've mastered the basics, then you can take a shot at sparing with me someday. But you've got to work hard at it, understand?"_

 _Alu's mood quickly changed to eagerness. The idea of fighting her father in a dual to show off strength resonated very well with her._

 _"You bet!" she grinned. "Let's go!"_

 _With that, Natsu carried Alu out of the room and headed toward the main door of the house._

* * *

 _Back to the present…_

"That's right," Alu said out loud, her voice very pensive. "I was so excited about learning how to fight that I completely forgot about the key. And Mom…that was the first time I saw her on the verge of crying. I still can't believe she had to break a Celestial Key like that. I wonder…"

Alu's voice trailed off and she closed her eyes out of deep thinking.

"Um," Aries spoke up uncomfortably, "I'm sorry to interrupt, Alu, but if that's all you have to ask me, then I should probably go now."

"Hold on just a second," Alu said quickly, her eyes snapping open. "I've got one more question: is it possible to repair Celestial Keys?"

Aries gasped in shock at that question. That really caught her off guard.

"W-Well, I don't know!" the Spirit stuttered, her voice rising just a bit. "I guess it's possible, but I'm not really sure! I'm sorry! I just don't know how to answer that-!"

"Whoa, easy, Aries," Alu interrupted, trying to sound as soothing as she could, "I didn't mean to startle you with that. It's just that since I thought since Celestial Keys had to come from somewhere, it could be possible for broken ones to be re-forged, right?"

Aries thought for a moment before saying, "Yeah, I guess so. But I honestly can't answer that for you."

"Well, do you know of someone who could?" Alu asked.

Aries lowered her gaze and bit her lips. That was a sure sign for Alu that her Celestial Spirit friend did know of someone who could answer her question, it was just that Aries wasn't sure if she should say it.

Finally, Aries gave a small nod and looked back up Alu.

"It would be the Celestial Spirit King." Aries answered.

"Of course." Alu said, snapping her fingers. "Why didn't I think of that before? Aries, can you take me to the Celestial World so I can ask him about it?"

"What?!" Aries shrieked loudly.

Alu jumped at that and quickly cupped her hand over Aries mouth.

"Shh!" the girl shushed.

Alu listened intently for a moment for any sound that would tell her that one or both of her parents had woken up. She was really hoping that they didn't hear Aries. She really didn't want to be caught right now, not when she was on to something very important. And considering the trouble she already in with her parents, she wouldn't put it past her mother to take away her Celestial Keys as punishment. And that would ruin everything.

Luckily, much to Alu's relief, there was no disturbance. She let out a long sustained breath of air and took her hand away from Aries's mouth.

"Sorry about that," she whispered, "but could you try to shriek a little quieter next time?"

"Of course, I'm sorry!" Aries replied in a hushed voice. "It's just that…well…you know that a human entering the Spirit World is a breach of contract."

"But this rule can be lifted under certain circumstances, right?" Alu pointed out. "Mom and Dad have told me of all the times they have been to the Celestial World before. I just want to ask the Celestial King if he knows anything about repairing Celestial Keys. Surely, he would let me in for that."

Aries gave a small moan of uncertainty and twiddled her fingers. She was already uncomfortable with Alu firing off so many question in a row like a Magic machine gun. And she wasn't really sure about the wizard's request either. Aries had never requested an audience with the Celestial Spirit King before, let alone brought a human into the Celestial World. Although it wasn't considered a deplorable act, she could still be seriously punished for it.

Still, that look in Alu's eyes was enough to tell the Golden Ram Spirit that her key holder was eager to find out the truth. And if there was one thing Aries knew about this girl, it was that once she got an idea in her head, there was no stopping her.

"Well," Aries said at last, "I guess I could ask the Celestial Spirit King if he would have an audience with you. I don't want to break any rules or anything. Would that be okay?"

"Yeah, that'd be fine." Alu replied. "But could please be quick. I really need to know."

Aries was about to say something when a deep, commanding voice inside her head and Alu's startled them both.

 ** _"Aries,"_**

"C-Celestial Spirit King?!" the Golden Ram Spirit squeaked, her voice spiking with fear.

 ** _"Do not be afraid,"_** the voice said. **_"Your key holder wishes to know if about repairing Celestial Keys, does she not?"_**

"Y-Yes, sir." Alu answered, trying to hid the fact she was freaked out about hearing a voice in her head. "I was hoping you could tell me about that. I know humans entering the Spirit World is against contract, but could you make an exception this time? I really need to know. If you know anything about re-forging Celestial Keys, then please you tell me."

There was a long silence.

 ** _"Very well, then,"_** the Celestial Spirit King replied. **_"I grant you passage to the Celestial World. I promise that I will answer your question. Aries, please guide her here."_**

"Yes, sir." Aries answered with an obedient nod.

Both Alu and Aries waited for a moment to hear if the Celestial Spirit King had anything else to say to them. When he didn't respond, they both looked at each other and nodded.

"Well, we better get going." Aries said, reaching a hand out to Alu.

"Right." Alu replied, taking Aries hand.

Then, in a small flash of gold light, both human and Spirit vanished from the room.


	8. Chapter 8: Alu and the Water Bearer

**Chapter 8**

 **Alu and the Water Bearer**

In just the blink of an eye, Alu found herself standing on a platform that seemed to be floating inside a fantasy world. For a moment, she stood where she was with a look of awe on her face. Alu had never see the Spirit World for herself before. Though she had often heard stories of it from her parents and other members of the guild who had been there in the past, she could never quite picture what the world itself was like.

It was certainly unlike anything she had ever seen.

All around her were planet-like orbs that seemed to levitate in a bluish-black void. There were crystals and star-shaped patterns that glowed the radiant colors of green, blue, pink, and purple.

It was certainly a dreamy kind of place.

Alu gave an impressed whistle before saying, "Wow, I'm really diggin' your world, Aries. I could get used to this place."

"I'm glad you like it, Alu." Aries replied. "And I must say that Celestial Garments look really good on you."

Alu gave a confused expression when Aries said that last part and looked down. She was now dressed in a sleeveless black and yellow kimono that went down to the middle of her thighs. She also wore white leggings and black sandals.

"Huh, didn't expect this to happen," she said, looking over herself. "Still, looks cool so I won't complain."

"I'm glad you like it." Aries smiled. "Now we should probably go to see the Celestial Spirit King. It's not polite to keep him waiting."

"Good idea." Alu nodded in agreement.

However, before Alu and Aries even took a step, The Celestial Spirit King himself appeared just beyond the platform the two were standing on. Alu took in a sharp breath of air when she saw him. She had heard stories of this Spirit, but had never seen him in person before.

He was the largest Spirit that she had ever seen in her life. He was definitely larger than the Kardia Cathedral in Magnolia. He wore a set of thick armor that was decorated with star and sun patterns. His main colors consisted of stellar-white, jade-green, and sunset-yellow. His face was stoic and blank, and he had ruby red eyes.

But the thing that Alu noticed the most was his large, snowy-white mustache. It was the longest mustache she had ever seen. It went down well past his shoulders and it bristled out on the ends.

Normally, Alu would've snickered at something like that, but since this was her first time seeing the Celestial Spirit King, she was too amazed to make any kind of joke about his facial hair.

Upon seeing the ruler of the Spirit World, Aries bowed deeply.

"Great Celestial Spirit King," she said, sounding just a little nervous, "I have done what you've ordered. This is my key holder, Alu Dragneel."

The Celestial Spirit King looked down at Alu. At she assumed he was looking down at her. Without any pupils in those red eyes of his, she couldn't quite tell.

For a while, he said nothing. He just stared at her with a blank expression. He then narrowed his eyes in what looked like suspicion.

 **"Young one,"** he said, his voice was deep and powerful. **"You have some kind of connection to Lucy Heartfilla, do you not?"**

"Yeah." Alu nodded. "You know her?"

 **"Indeed I do,"** the Celestial Spirit King answered. **"She's an old friend of mine."**

Alu gave a big smile and said, "That's cool, she's actually my mom. She's called Lucy Dragneel, now."

 **"Hmm,"** the Spirit King sounded like he was amazed. **"Then your father is the Dragon Slayer of Fire: Natsu Dragneel."**

"Yep," the girl said proudly, placing her hands on her hips. "The one and only."

The Celestial Spirit King fell silent for a moment. Alu didn't notice this, but he had a look of deep contemplation in his eyes.

"Um," Aries spoke up softly, "I don't mean to interrupt this, but you had a question for the Celestial Spirit King, Alu."

"Oh, that's right." Alu said, remembering why she came to the Celestial World in the first place. "Celestial Spirit King, I wanted to ask you if it is possible to repair broken Celestial Keys. I mean, they must've been forged some time in the past to be begin with, right? So is there any way that they can be re-forged if they've been damaged?"

The Celestial Spirit King looked at Alu for another long moment.

 **"You wish to repair a Celestial Spirit key?"** he said. **"Which one?"**

"Aquarius's key." Alu explained. "My mom told me about Tartaros and how she had to break Aquarius's key to summon you. I understand why she did it, but I also know that it hurt her to do that. Is there a way I can repair that key?"

 **"I see,"** the Celestial Spirit King replied in a low voice. **"You want to re-forge this key for your mother."**

"Yeah," Alu nodded sharply, "that's right."

 **"What you are requesting is a difficult task,"** the Spirit King said, **"but it's not impossible."**

Alu heart thumped with hope. Did that mean there was a way?

 **"But to understand how to re-forge them,"** the Spirit King continued, **"you have to know that the Celestial World and Earth Land were not always connected the way they are now. Long ago, they were simply parallel worlds. But one day, a Spirit from this world somehow found their way into Earth Land and befriended a human. That human became the first Celestial Wizard. And it was they who forged the Celestial Keys."**

Alu was listening very intently now.

 **"Those keys were all created in the same place: The Valley of Gates."**

"The Valley of Gates?" Alu repeated, mesmorized.

 **"Yes."** the Celestial King nodded. **"It is a place that only Celestial Wizards can enter. While I sense a second magic power housed within you, your Celestial Magic should allow you to enter it. It is a three-day journey eastward from the city of Magnolia. If you wish to repair the Celestial Key, then you will need to travel the Valley of Gates with the Spirit that is connected to the broken key. For it was the combine power of a Celestial Wizard and Spirit that created a key in the beginning. If you want to repair Aquarius's key, then she will need to accompany you on this quest."**

Alu thought for a moment. Beside her, Aries began to fidget nervously, showing that she had a bad feeling about this.

Finally, Alu closed her eyes and nodded before looking back up at the Celestial Spirit King.

"Okay," she said with conviction. "If that's the only way, then I'll do it."

 **"Very well, then,"** the Spirit King said. **"But first, I must consult with Aquarius to see if she is willing to agree to the same plan."**

"Oh dear," Aries shuddered softly.

"Huh?" Alu looked over at her friend curiously.

The Celestial Spirit King then turned his head upwards.

 **"Aquarius the Water Bearer!"** he commanded strongly. **"I beckon you here at once! Come forth with haste!"**

Almost immediately, there was a swirl of water droplets and light, a mermaid Spirit appeared right in front of Alu.

She had a blue fish tail decorated with scales, something that looked like a mini skirt held together by a gold belt around her waist, and she wore a blue and white bikini top. Her eyes were piercing azure. Her hair was sea-blue, and it went down to the point where it almost touched the tip of her tailfin. She had a pair of golden arm bracelets, on each of her upper and lower arms. Around her head was a gold and silver circlet with a purple gem dangling in the middle, and she had aquamarine earrings.

Under her right arm, she carried a round, silver urn.

Alu immediately deduced that this was Aquarius.

"You summoned me, Great Celestial King?" the water asked in a rather firm voice, bowing in respect to her ruler. "Is there something wrong?"

 **"Old friend,"** the Spirit King said in response, **"this human girl has come to me with the request of repairing your Celestial Key."**

Aquarius looked up in surprise at the King before turning to see the girl in question. The moment she met Alu's dark green eyes, her expression changed for a brief moment to shock. It was quick, but Alu managed to catch it before the Water Spirit gave a suspicious glare.

"No, you couldn't be," she muttered to herself.

"Uh," Alu hesitated, "excuse me? You're Aquarius, right?"

Aquarius glanced at Alu for a moment before turning away in disgust.

"Maybe," she said hotly, "who wants to know?"

"Me, of course." Alu replied firmly, her eyes narrowing a bit and planting her hands on her hips. "You were once contracted to my mom."

Aquarius's head snapped back around to Alu when she heard that.

"Who's your mother?" she asked quickly.

"Lucy." Alu answered. "Lucy Heartfillia."

At the sound of that name, Aquarius gasped in shock. She then gave an annoyed look.

"You're that blonde bimbo's daughter?!" she said harshly.

"She's not a bimbo!" Alu snapped back.

Aquarius narrowed her eyes and she gave a sarcastic face.

"Well, I must say I'm amazed she ever managed to have a child," she said dismissively. "She must've really been desperate to get a boyfriend."

Alu gave a highly offended look before scowling deeply. Aquarius might not have said it, but the girl knew what she meant by that.

"WHY YOU…!" she shouted angrily, preventing herself from cursing at the last second. "SHE'S MARRIED TO MY DAD, NATSU DRAGNEEL, F-Y-I! AND I WAS BORN TWO YEARS AFTER THEY WERE MARRIED! SO YOU BETTER TAKE THAT BACK OR YOUR GOING TO GET A FACE-FULL OF MY FIRE DRAGON IRON FIST!"

Aquarius looked at Alu for a moment with a kind of hidden surprise. She quickly concealed it with an annoyed frown.

"So your dad's the pink-haired pyromaniac, huh?" she said dryly. "I guess I should've known; you look so much like him that it really gives it away. And I can see you also inherited his boisterous attitude as well."

Alu's scowl deepened and she growled.

This Spirit had the nerve to say those things about her parents! Alu was not going to let her get away with that!

The girl's hand flared up with Dragon Slayer Fire and she moved in to slug Aquarius. However, before she took another step, Aries ran up from behind and grabbed Alu by the waist and shoulder and held her back. Alu struggled furiously to get free.

"LET ME AT HER!" she screamed with rage. "I'LL KNOCK HER LIGHTS OUT!"

"Alu, please get a hold of yourself!" Aries pleaded, straining to keep Alu from slipping out of her grasp. "This isn't the time to fight! Don't forget you have to get back to your world before your parents realize your gone!"

Alu stopped struggling and the pale fire around her fist disappeared instantly. She let out a frustrated grunt and relaxed her limbs. Aries felt the tension leave Alu's body and she slowly let her go. However, the scowl on Alu's face didn't fade. She glowered at Aquarius.

"Just so you know, I'm not going to forget that!" she warned, jabbing a finger at the Water Spirit.

"Whatever." Aquarius scoffed. "You don't scare me at all."

 **"Aquarius,"** the Celestial Spirit King interrupted, reminding everyone he was still there, **"if you wish to have your key repaired, then you will have to accompany this young Celestial Wizard to the Valley of Gates. But I leave this choice to you. Do you want to have your key re-forged?"**

Aquarius looked down pensively. Alu's narrowed her eyes with disdain. She was sure that Aquarius would refuse the offer. Well, that was find by Alu. As far as she was concerned, this Spirit was just flat-out arrogant and selfish. And now that she saw her in person, Alu couldn't believe that her mother would ever want this Spirit back.

However, Alu was in for a surprise.

"Yes." Aquarius answered, looking back up at the King. "I would like to have my key repaired. And if this is the only way, then I will do it."

At the sound of that, Alu's eyes widened a bit. She quickly reverted her face back to a scowl right afterwards though.

 **"Very well, then,"** the Celestial Spirit King nodded. **"Now that you both have consented to go on this mission, we will begin preparations. Human girl, you must retrieve the remains of Aquarius's key as soon as you get back to your world."**

Alu frowned, but she didn't argue.

"Yes, sir," she said stiffly.

 **"Aquarius,"** the King continued, **"before you go, I must speak with you. In the meantime, you, human girl, must return to your world. Once you are there, begin to set out on your journey at once."**

Alu nodded in understanding.

Then in less time then it took for her heart to beat, Alu disappeared in flash of light.

She immediately found herself back in her room. She blinked a few times as her eyes tried to adjust to the sudden darkness. Once they had, she turned the lamp on her desk on and looked over at the clock. Even though she knew that it was still nighttime, she wanted to know just how much time had passed since she went to the Spirit World.

"Three thirty?" she whispered to herself. "So I was gone for about…five hours? Oh wait, I remember. Time flows differently in that world than here. Oh well, at least I still have time before my parents wake up."

Alu sighed heavily.

"Of course, had I known what Aquarius was like before," she mumbled, "I probably would've thought twice about this. Man, what have I gotten myself into this time?"

The girl closed her eyes and pinched her eyebrows together. Was this really worth it? She was already starting to loathe Aquarius with a fiery passion. Not to mention, those things that she said about Alu's parents just about sent the young wizard over the edge. And she had a feeling that they would be at each other's throats for the whole journey. It was clear to Alu that Aquarius probably hated her as much as she hated Alu's mother.

Still…

"I did make a promise." Alu said, opening her eyes a bit. "And I never break a promise. So whether I like or not, I'm going to follow through on this. I don't care if it kills me or drives me to insanity, I WILL keep that promise."

With that resolve, Alu grabbed her backpack.

There was no turning back now. She had to go through with this. And she was going to, no matter what.


	9. Chapter 9: Run Away

**Chapter 9**

 **Run Away**

After packing her backpack with a spare blanket and a few selected essentials from her room, Alu quickly changed out of her Celestial Garments and into her regular cloths. Once she was dressed, she stopped and stood where she was for a moment.

She had to prepare herself for the hardest task of all: sneaking into her parents' room and taking Aquarius's key from her mother's dresser without waking them up.

Alu swallowed hard and wiped the sweat from her palms onto her vest. She knew that she was going to have to be extremely careful with this task. It wasn't her mother she was worried about catching her.

It was her father.

Natsu and Alu both had the sense of Dragons. That also meant that Natsu had ears like a bat. It didn't matter if he was a heavy sleeper, if he ever heard anything out of the ordinary, he would be wide awake in a second.

Alu remembered this when some burglars were dumb enough to break into the house about three years ago. They only got as far as sneaking in through one of the windows before they were met with a fully awake, and fully enraged, Natsu. They didn't even have time to steal anything. The moment he heard them open the window, he was up and out like a rocket.

Fortunately for Alu, unlike those bundling burglars, she was a pretty good sneak. After all, she was able to steal all the drinks from behind the bar yesterday, and go unnoticed for two hours. That took skill, if she did say so herself.

Of course, this mission she was about to take had more riding on it that simple prank did. She would have to rely on all of her sneaking skills for this one.

"Okay," Alu whispered, "let's get this over with."

After carefully opening her door, Alu crept down the hall. Rolling her feet from heel to toe with each step she took, she snuck to her parents' room. It was open just a crack, which was good for Alu. It meant she didn't have to worry about turning the knob. Still, she had to be careful when opening it. Slowly, cautiously, she pushed the door open. Much to her relief, it didn't make so much as a squeak. When she opened it wide enough for her to slip through, she side-stepped into the room.

She stood where she was for a moment, holding her breath and pressing herself up against the wall. Even though the room was dark, and only had limited amount of moonlight spilling in from the windows, Alu could tell that both of her parents were asleep. Natsu had stopped snoring by now and was just breathing as regularly as any other person sleeping soundly would.

 _"Okay,"_ Alu thought to herself, _"so far so good. Now, let's see."_

Alu looked up and frowned. Her mother's dresser was clear on the other side of the room.

 _"Of course it would be all the way over there. Ugh, why does everything have to be so complicated? Oh well, I'll just have to be extremely careful."_

Alu crouched down on all fours and began to crawl. Hardly daring to breath, she began to make her way around the bed and towards the dresser. She stuck as close to framework of the bed as she could to conceal herself from her parents' line of vision in case they happen to wake up. It should be able to work, considering how dark the room was. And provided that Natsu's keen sense of smell would still be dulled by sleep.

As Alu neared the furthest bedpost, she heard her father begin to stir. She froze right where she was, her heart-rate spiking in alarm. She cupped her hand over her mouth and nose to prevent herself from breathing loudly. She waited for one fearful moment to see what would happen. Luckily, her sensitive hearing picked up the sound him just groaning and turning over onto his other side. She waited for a second to see if he would do anything else.

Nothing happened.

Alu let out a relieved, silent breath of air and slowly stood up. She then crept over to her mother's dresser.

 _"Okay, which drawer was it in?"_ she thought anxiously. _"Oh right, it was the top one on the left."_

Alu grabbed the handle of the drawer, and it easily slide open without making much of a sound. She couldn't see very well inside the compartment, but she was afraid to use her Dragon Fire for light. She would have to feel for it. She remembered what the box looked like and how it felt in her hands before. So all she had to do was feel for the box with the wave patterns carved into it.

 _"Oh, I just hope Mom didn't put it under anything,"_ she frowned.

Gently, Alu began to feel for that box. She lightly touched all of the contents within the space for any sign of her intended target, but all she was feeling was necklaces, rings, bracelets, watches, and other large jewelry boxes. Cold sweat began to form on her face with each passing moment. Now she was really worried that her parents were going to wake up any moment.

She was about to lose her nerve when her hand landed on a small object. Feeling a thrill of hope, she felt all around the exterior and felt the wavy carvings. This was the box, it had to be.

Alu picked it up and immediately opened it. She smiled brightly and her eyes seemed to sparkle when she saw that it contained the hilt of Aquarius's key.

She found it!

She was so elated by her accomplishment that she almost forgot about the situation she was in. The moment she picked the key out…

The box slipped out of her hand and fell into the dresser drawer with a small wooden "clank".

Alu jumped in alarm and turned around sharply. To her horror, the sound had wakened her father. Even though he was turned away from her, she could hear him starting to wake up.

She had to hide before he saw her! But where?!

With time running out, Alu looked around franticly for a place to conceal herself.

* * *

Drowsily, Natsu sat up and looked around. He was sure that he had heard something like a small woody crash, but he didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Then again, the room was dark and he couldn't really see much. Except for what the moonlight allowed his eyes to see.

However, Natsu did manage to see that one of Lucy's dresser drawers was open. Curiously, he removed the covers and swung he legs over the side of the bed. His upper body was completely bare. All he had on was a pair of loose pants that went down to his ankles. He slowly stood up and walked over to the dresser. When he reached it, he lazily raised an eyebrow.

Was that open before? He tried to remember if it was, but his mind was still groggy.

He pushed the drawer closed and looked around again. Still he saw nothing. And his senses were still rather drowsy, so he couldn't really get a clear smell of anything other than what was inches in front of him, which wasn't much at all.

Finally, he just gave a shrug, dismissing the noise as just his imagination. He then turned around and walked back to the bed.

However, although Natsu had looked all over the room, there was one crucial direction he didn't think to look.

Up.

* * *

Holding herself flat up against the ceiling, Alu pressed her hands and feet up and out against the rafters with all the strength she had. The look on her face was one of near-comical terror, and her whole body was beginning to shake from both the adrenaline coursing through her, and the force of her muscles trying to keep her from slipping.

Just before her father had gotten up and turned around, Alu had swiftly leapt up on to the dresser and jumped up to the ceiling. There, she watched agonizingly as Natsu made his way to the dresser. Her heart nearly stopped beating entirely when he stopped directly under her and turned his head in every direction for any sign of her.

The whole time, the only thing that was going through her head was, _"Please don't look up! Please don't look up! PLEASE don't look up!"_.

Finally, much to Alu's deflating relief, her father just gave a shrug and went back to bed. She was also lucky that he decided lay down on his side instead of his back. In just few seconds, he was out like a light.

 _"That…was too close."_ Alu's thoughts sighed. _"You know, all that training Dad gave me is really paying off."_

Taking in another deep, soundless breath of air, Alu braced herself and let herself drop down to the ground. Her feet barely made any noise when they made contact with the floor. She got back down on all fours and snuck out of the room. She took only a moment or two to catch her breath before creeping back to her room.

Knowing that Happy was sleeping out in the living room, and not wanting to have another sneak that could possibly give her a panic attack, Alu decided to leave by way of her bedroom window. After silently closing her door, and gathering up her backpack and Celestial Keys, she carefully opened the window to her room and jumped out.

Alu ran just a few yards away from the house and took in deep, refreshing breath of nighttime air.

"Ah, glad that's over," she said out loud to herself. "Now all I need to do now is wait for Aquarius, and we're on our way."

Just then, a snooty, arrogant voice came from behind Alu.

"Tch, _you_ wait for _me_?"

Alu jumped and sharply caught her breath to keep herself from screaming. She whipped around to see Aquarius and Aries standing just behind her. She scowled at Aquarius. That was her voice that startled her, and she knew Aquarius did that on purpose.

"Don't scare me like that!" Alu snapped at the Water Spirit. "I've already almost had a heart-attack trying to get your stupid key!"

"Well, you sure took your sweet time getting it." Aquarius said self-righteously. "We've been waiting for you for the past hour."

Alu snarled at the remark. It didn't take her that long to retrieve Aquarius's key hilt and that pompous Spirit knew it.

But before Alu could snap back, Aries quickly stepped forward.

"I'm sorry," she said, trying to be assertive in her own little shy way, "but shouldn't we get going?"

"Hold on, you're coming with us?" Alu asked the Golden Ram Spirit, becoming curious. "I'd thought you'd stay in the Spirit World until I summoned you."

"Well, um," Aries replied coyly, twiddling her fingers, "the Celestial Spirit King said I could join you. I just want to make sure…I just want us all to get along. And don't worry about losing magic, I can use my own magic to keep my gate open for you."

"Okay." Alu said. "Well, I do want to get a good distance away before my parents discover I'm gone. The Celestial Spirit King said the Valley of Gates is east of Magnolia, and it's going to take us three days to get there on foot. And another thing; Celestial Spirits can't survive long in the human world. So, I take it you guys have a way of making sure you don't run out of life force energy while you're here."

In response, Aries opened the blue and pink hip pouch around her waist. She reached in it and pulled out a small vile filled with a strange kind of lilac-colored liquid that seemed to be glowing.

"This is Astral Elixir." Aries explained. "The Celestial Spirit King gave me and Aquarius three viles each. Each vile will last for one day in the human world. It'll regenerate our life forces and Magic Power."

"Good." Alu nodded. "So, you guys ready?"

"Yeah," Aquarius replied contemptuously, "was ready a long time ago. Just waiting on you, slow-poke. And if you don't mind, I would like to get this over with. I have a date with my boyfriend coming up, and I don't want to miss it because of some little scruff munchkin like you holding me up."

"Believe me," Alu snarled with irritation, "I want to get this over with as much as you do. Now, let's get moving."

With that, the little trio set their course due east and set out. While Alu and Aries ran, Aquarius levitated beside them, making undulating motions with her tail as if she was swimming under water.

Before they were out of sight of the house, Alu stopped and looked to look back at her home.

 _"Mom. Dad. Please don't worry. I promise I'll be back soon."_

Alu then turned away and ran to catch up with the two Celestial Spirits.

* * *

 _The Next Morning…_

Lucy, dressed in a white bathrobe, was cooking breakfast for her family. She was frying up some scrambled eggs and along with some bacon. On the counter beside the stove, Happy was sitting down and munching on the last of his fish breakfast. Pretty soon, Natsu walked into the kitchen, dressed in his usual outfit. He stretched his arms and gave a big yawn. That was a sign to Lucy and Happy that he was still waking up.

"Morning, Natsu." Lucy greeted her husband with a smile. "Did you sleep okay?"

"Yeah, for the most part." Natsu replied, walking up beside his wife and putting an arm around her shoulders. "You?"

"Well, aside from your relentless snoring for two hours, it was fine." Lucy grinned sarcastically.

"Aye." Happy said. "You should probably consider getting that checked out, Natsu. I could hear you all the way from the living room."

"Very funny." Natsu replied indifferently. "You've lived with me for years and you haven't complained about it before."

"Yeah, but back then it wasn't as bad."

"Whatever."

Natsu then turned his attention to the food sizzling in the frying pan.

"So, eggs and bacon for breakfast again?"

"Yes." Lucy replied sharply. "It was quick and easy to make."

"Hey, I'm not complainin'. Just making an observation." Natsu shrugged. "So when are they gonna be done?"

"In a few seconds." Lucy simply replied. "Why don't you go get Alu?"

"She's not up yet?" Natsu asked.

"I guess she decided to sleep in." Lucy said. "I haven't seen her all morning."

"I'll go see if she's up yet." Happy offered, his Aera Wings already appearing on his back.

"Okay." Natsu nodded. "Thanks, little buddy."

As the little blue Exceed flew out of the kitchen and down the all to Alu's room, Natsu took his arm off of Lucy and turned to go sit take a seat at the table. But as Lucy turned off the stove and carried the frying pan over to three plates, he turned back quickly and snatched a piece of bacon from the frying pan. At first, Lucy was startled by this and nearly dropped the pan. She quickly recovered and turned to Natsu with an irritated expression.

However, her attitude changed in an instant and she laughed along with Natsu as the pink-haired man shoved the bacon onto his mouth.

"Just so you know you're not getting an extra piece for that." Lucy warned playfully.

"Yeah, fine. Whatever you say, Lu." Natsu replied carelessly, his mouth full of bacon.

Natsu was about to sit down when both he and Lucy heard Happy give a startled scream.

"NATSU! LUCY!"

Natsu and Lucy both jolted and looked up in alarm. Lucy set the frying pan onto the counter, and she and Natsu ran to where they heard Happy scream. They hadn't gone down the hall when Happy flew straight at them and slammed into the center of Natsu's chest, making the Dragon Slayer grunt. Happy turned his head and looked up at Natsu with panic in his eyes.

"Happy, what's wrong?!" Lucy asked, worried.

"It's Alu!" Happy cried. "She's gone!"

"WHAT?!" Natsu and Lucy shrieked in unison.

The two them ran down to Alu's room. The both stopped and stared in horror when they saw that the window to room was left wide open, and Alu was nowhere to be seen. Not only that, they also saw that Alu's backpack was gone as well.

"Oh, no!" Lucy cupped her hands over her mouth. "Don't tell me that she ran off again!"

Natsu scowled with concern as he took in the situation. Alu had snuck away from them to go on solo missions before, but never like this. There was something definitely wrong.

He turned sharply to his wife.

"Lucy, get dressed!" he ordered. "Happy and I will head down to the guild! If hurry, we might still be able to catch Alu! Or at least find someone whose seen her!"

"O-Okay!" Lucy nodded. "Just hurry! I'll be there as soon as I can!"

"Right! C'mon, Happy!"

"Aye, sir!" Happy replied.

With that, Lucy headed back to their bedroom to change while Natsu ran across Alu's room and jumped out of the open window. Happy flew close behind him. The moment Natsu was outside, he set out in a dead-sprint toward the city of Magnolia. He didn't stop running, even after he got within the city limits. He didn't even see the pedestrians in front of him as he ran down the streets. Happy had to scream to everyone to make sure they got out of the way of the Dragon Slayer's charge.

The only thing that was on Natsu's mind was finding his daughter before it was too late.

 _"Alu,"_ he thought with concern, _"this better not be another one of your stunts!"_


	10. Chapter 10: The Search is On

**Chapter 10**

 **The Search is On**

 _At the Fairy Tail guildhall…_

"So Alu got grounded again because she took a solo mission, huh? Figures that would happen."

"Don' soun so smug, Sis." Ash said, his mouth full of breakfast roll.

"Ash, don't talk with your mouth full." Juvia scolded gently.

Ash glanced over at his mother briefly before swallowing the contents in his mouth.

"Sorry, Mom," he said respectfully. He then turned his attention back to his twin sister. "You shouldn't take pleasure in Alu's frustration, Ur. She was really upset about it."

"Hey, I'm not the one who told her to go take a solo mission." Ur replied impassively. "She just gets into trouble wherever she goes. And she does it of her own volition. But it's because she's an idiot."

Ash glared at his sister.

Ur was a slender girl, and was just slightly shorter than her twin brother, Ash. She had long, wavy, dark ocean-blue hair that was tied in a pony tail that draped over her right shoulder. She also had sapphire eyes and sea-foam white skin.

She was dressed in a simple, pale-blue and white dress with matching knee-high boots and light-Gray leggings.

At the moment, she was sitting at one of the large tables in the Fairy Tail guildhall with her family. Beside her was her brother Ash, and across from her was her mother and father. She and her mother got back from their mission earlier that morning, and decided to have a late breakfast at the guild. As they did, Gray and Ash came in shortly after and joined them at their table.

"Speaking of Alu," Gray said, unconcerned, "did you two hear about what happened yesterday?"

"Yeah, Cana did mention something about a little incident." Juvia answered. "We didn't get all the details, but whatever happened really got her worked up. She was still having a fit about it."

"From what we were told, Alu took all the beer and wine from behind the bar and hid it downstairs in a closet. Needless to say, everyone was pretty ticked off about that."

"Like I said," Ur waved her hand dismissively, "Alu gets herself into trouble no matter where you put her. Gee, I'd hate to be her parents."

Ash turned away and looked down at the table. His bangs covered his eyes.

"She's not that bad," he mumbled to himself. "She's just hurting."

Suddenly, the guild doors flew open with a loud slam that echoed throughout the hall and made nearly everyone jump in alarm. Naturally, every eye turned to the entrance to see what was going on. A pink and dark blue blur ran in, jumped over the railing and darted toward the bar. It was immediately followed by a little blue Exceed.

"Natsu, slow down!" Happy cried out as he entered the guild.

But Natsu didn't slow down. When he reached the bar, he managed to stick his hands out in time to brace himself against the edged of the countertop. His momentum caused him to lurch forward a bit and he almost flipped over the counter and onto the other side.

"MIRA!" he shouted, just barely getting his balance back.

The white-haired lady in a black dress gave a startled shriek and turned around quickly to face Natsu. For someone who had just sprinted across town, Natsu actually didn't look too bad. He was still panting for breath, but that wasn't just because his lungs were out of air from running. It was clear to see the sheer amount of anxiety on his face.

"N-Natsu!" Mirajane stammered, surprised. "What's the matter?!"

"Alu!" Natsu said quickly. "Have you seen Alu?!"

"Alu?!" Mirajane questioned.

"Yes, Alu!" Natsu raised his voice sharply. "Have you seen her at the guild?!"

Mirajane shook her head.

Natsu let out an aggravated groan and grabbed two a handfuls of his hair, looking as it he was going to pull them out of his head. Then, he began to dart around to every single person in the guild like some out-of-control pink tornado, asking them about his daughter's whereabouts in such a loud voice that practically everyone heard the question even before he got to them. He even flustered quite a few people so badly that they couldn't answer his question. Not that he gave them time to either.

Finally, he got to the Fullbuster family's table. By this time, they could see that his angst was about to skyrocket out of control. Simply out of habit, Natsu scowled at Gray and grabbed the man by the color of his shirt with fierce aggression.

"Hey, what's the big idea?!" Gray shouted out of protest.

"You better tell me you've seen Alu, Gray!" Natsu snarled. "Where is she?!"

"How should I know, Hot Head?!" Gray snapped. "I just got here only minutes ago!"

"Sorry, Natsu," Ash quickly said, his voice calm and almost quiet, "but we haven't seen Alu at all."

Natsu shot a glare at Ash briefly, making the boy shrink back and look up at the Dragon Slayer with wide, fearful eyes.

Natsu grunted in frustration before letting go of Gray, pushing him away roughly as he did. He then ran over to the Request Board and began to scan over it. By this time, Mirajane had come out from behind the bar and was walking up towards him.

"If you think she's taken a job, Natsu, she hasn't," the white-haired woman said. "I double-checked the board this morning and no jobs were missing."

For a brief second, Natsu relaxed at that piece of news. But then an idea struck him and he jolted like he had been shot by lightning.

"What about the S-Class missions?!" he asked. It was clear he was becoming more frantic by the minute. "Are all of those still there?! PLEASE tell me she didn't take an S-Class mission!"

Mirajane started at Natsu with wide eyes.

"I…I haven't checked yet," she admitted softly.

Natsu's whole body tensed up. The blood vessels on his face began to pop out and he shook with violent worry and anger. He was even starting to have a reddish orange aura appear around him.

"So help me!" he snarled through his teeth. "If she's taken an S-Class mission, I'm gonna…!"

"Simmer down, Natsu."

Natsu looked over to see who had just addressed him. To his surprise, Laxus was leaning up against the edge of the Request Board. His arms were folded across his chest and he looked like he was meditating. However, he opened one eye so he could look over at Natsu.

"None of the S-Class missions were taken," he simply stated.

"Are you sure, Laxus?!" Natsu demanded.

"Yes," Laxus nodded with certainty, "and I was up on the second floor all night. If Alu had tried to sneak up there, I would've caught her. Even I'm not as lazy as to let the little Pyro Pipsqueak taken an unauthorized S-Class mission. Although I'm actually surprised that she hasn't tried that yet. After all, she is around the same age as you when you stole an S-Class mission."

"NO, SHE'S NOT!" Natsu rebuked furiously. "I WAS EIGHTEEN AND SHE'S ONLY FOURTEEN! THERE'S AN AGE DIFFERENCE THERE, YOU KNOW!"

Before Natsu could argue anymore, Happy flew over and got within the Dragon Slayer's line of vision.

"Calm down, Natsu!" Happy pleaded, waving his arms wildly. "That doesn't matter now! We gotta find Alu! As far as we know, she was never here!"

Natsu gritted his teeth and scowled. Finally, he took a deep breath and exhaled, releasing the pent-up tension in his muscles. Almost all at once he felt fatigued. He was also beginning to become aware of the soreness in his legs from all the running he did. Not wanting to display any weakness, Natsu just leaned up against the wall to catch his breath.

"You're right Happy, I'm sorry," he mumbled begrudgingly. "I'm just worried about her, that's all. It's not like her to run off like this."

"What do you mean?" Mirajane asked, concerned. "What happened?"

"We woke up this morning and Alu was gone." Happy explained. "We thought she had snuck off to do another solo mission, but I guess that's not the case."

"Her backpack was missing, too." Natsu added. "I don't know when she left, but it must have been late at night because her scent had gone cold. I couldn't track her."

A faint but sharp gasp of alarm reached Natsu's ears. His head snapped immediately in the direction it came from and he was that Ash had a look of horror on his face. He had also gone pale.

"She wouldn't…" Ash whispered. "Would she?"

Despite that what Ash said was under his breath, it wasn't soft enough to escape the ears of a Dragon Slayer. Particularly one who had all of his senses sharpen to the point where he could hear a pin drop across the room.

The next thing Ash knew, there was a dashing of feet, and a very angry Natsu was suddenly up in his face, so close that the boy could see his sharpened canine teeth. The young Ice Maker Wizard let out an involuntary yelp and leaned back, shivering in fear. Natsu just moved in closer. He was like a lion closing in on his prey.

Indeed, at the moment, Ash WAS feeling like Natsu's prey.

Natsu's action caused Ur to leap out of her seat and back away. The whole time, she just looked at her poor brother with a concerned expression.

"Ash!" Natsu snarled loudly, his tone bordering on threatening. "If you know something about Alu's whereabouts you better tell me right now!"

A fist suddenly came out of nowhere and punched Natsu hard in the face. He stumbled backwards and brought a hand up to the bruise on his cheek. He looked back and scowled viciously at Gray, who was now standing protectively in front of his son.

"Cool it, Pyro Punk!" Gray warned. "And for goodness sake, will you stop making a scene?!"

Natsu shot Gray such a furious look that it was like he wanted to burn the Ice Wizard up with just his eyes. Every single fiber in his body wanted to slug Gray back with all his strength, but his primary objective of finding out where his daughter had run off to held him back. He would have to get Gray back for that punch later.

He certainly planned on doing that, just at a later time.

Sensing that Natsu wasn't going to start a fight, Gray turned back to his son.

"Ash," he said with calm authority, "do you have any idea where Alu might be?"

Ash opened his mouth to speak, but then immediately closed it with discomfort. He swallowed hard and looked down at the table, feeling almost every eye on the guild on him. He was searching for the right words to say. Whatever he had to tell to everyone, he didn't want them to panic from it. However, he wasn't really seeing any other option.

This wasn't going to be easy.

"Uh, well," Ash said with nervousness in his voice, "I was talking with Alu the other day. She was frustrated about being grounded for two weeks and she…well…she may or may not have hinted at…the thing is…"

"OH, FOR MAVIS'S SAKE, ASH!" Natsu bellowed. "JUST SPIT IT OUT! WHAT DID SHE SAY?!"

Ash flinched at that sudden outburst like he had just been hit.

He then cast his gaze downward, causing his bangs to hide his eyes in shadow.

He hesitated for a moment before mumbling miserably, "She said she was thinking about running away."

At the sound of that, the whole guild fell silent. All eyes were wide with disbelief.

Natsu froze. His face turned white and went from anger to utterly shocked in less than it took a heart to beat. It was like Ash had turned him into an ice sculpture just by saying those horrible words. As a father, that was one of the worst things Natsu could possibly hear. But all the evidence seemed to point to that.

Still, he couldn't bring himself to fully believe that Alu would just run away. Then again, she had become very distant and angry with everyone. She had also made it blatantly obvious that she had inherited her father's impulsive nature. That, combined with her feelings, would probably cause her to make irrational decisions like this one.

Was it possible? Did Alu really run away?

"She ran away?" a soft, whimpering voice came from behind.

Natsu slowly turned around and saw that Lucy was standing just a few feet away from him and the others. At first he was surprise that he didn't hear her arrive before, but that was immediately discarded the moment he saw her face. Her chocolate brown eyes began to water up with tears and her hands were cupped over her mouth.

Natsu frowned. He had only seen her like this one other time, many years ago.

It was when the now-disbanded Phantom Lord guild attacked Fairy Tail and demanded them to hand Lucy over to them.

But now, Lucy was frightened and confused for another reason. It was the idea of her daughter running away from home. Just the mere thought of it was enough to make Lucy cover her face shed tears.

"Why?" she sobbed quietly. "Why would she ever want to run away? I don't understand. Just why?"

"Lucy." Natsu whispered softly.

Ash lowered his head even more in shame and clenched his fists, regretting that he had said anything. He hated seeing Alu's family hurt like this. What made it worse was that he felt responsible for it.

Ur narrowed her eyes and turned away, saying nothing. She didn't want anyone to see her face.

Juvia got up from her seat and walked over to Gray. He turned his head to look at her. He saw a pleading glint in her eyes, as if she was hoping that he could say something to help the situation. However, he just turned away solemnly. Even he couldn't see how he could help. Juvia cast her gaze down sadly.

No one in the guild spoke a word. The most that they did was exchange bewildered glances to one another. Although Alu had caused them a lot of trouble before, and she had always found ways to tick everyone off, none of them ever wanted her to actually leave the guild. She was still part of their Fairy Tail family, no matter how annoying and mischievous she was.

Finally, Natsu moved from his spot. His eyes were covered in the shadow of his bangs. He walked over to a weeping Lucy and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in close into a strong embrace, causing her to tense up. His eyes were closed, like he was in deep thought, and his breathing was steady. As much as it hurt him to think that his daughter had run away, he was the father of the family, and he knew he had to be strong for Lucy's sake.

"Natsu?" Lucy whimpered.

Natsu tightened his grip around his wife and opened his eyes. He stared straight ahead.

"Don't cry, Lucy." Natsu said in a low, strong voice. "We'll find Alu. We'll find her and we'll bring her home."

Lucy caught her breath and swallowed the lump in her throat. She didn't just hear the conviction in Natsu's voice; she felt it, too. She didn't have to look at his face to know that he had a determined expression. She rested her head against Natsu's shoulder for comfort. She soaked up the strength that was resonating from him, feeling her own willpower returning. Just knowing that he wasn't going to give up was enough to give her hope again.

She let out a deep exhale and nodded. She slowly pulled away from her husband and wiped her eyes with her hand.

"Right," she breathed.

Natsu sharply nodded and looked back over his shoulder at Gray.

"Listen," he said firmly, "if Gramps wonders where Lucy and I are, tell him that we have a family emergency."

Gray responded by nodding.

With that, Natsu and Lucy left the guild with Happy following close behind them. Although they didn't know where Alu was, they knew they had to start their search somewhere. And the best place to begin was by looking somewhere that Alu would most likely go to first.

* * *

 _An hour and an half later…_

After getting some provisions from their house, Natsu, Lucy and Happy sat on a bench inside the train station. Neither one of them spoke to each other, and they sat with a kind of distant thoughtfulness in their eyes.

It was only when the announcer said that the train to Onibus was arriving that they snapped out of their somber trances. Natsu and Lucy both stood up while Happy used his Aera magic to hover beside them.

"You got your Troia pills, Natsu?" Lucy asked.

"Right here," the Dragon Slayer replied, holding up a small bottle full of little blue pills.

Natsu popped the lid opened with his thumb and let a pill fall out into his left hand. He then tossed the medicine into his mouth and swallowed it.

"Okay," Lucy nodded, "let's go."

The three were about to head out when someone yelled, "Natsu! Lucy! Wait up!"

The two Dragneels and Exceed stopped and turned to see who called out to them. To their open-mouth surprise, they saw a group of their fellow Fairy Tail members coming towards them.

The group consisted of Gray, his son Ash, Erza, Wendy, Carla, Romeo, and Gajeel with his daughter, Carol.

"What the…what are you guys doing here?" Natsu asked, befuddled.

"We came to help you look for Alu." Wendy explained. "After all, she's part of our Fairy Tail family, too."

Natsu, Lucy and Happy all blinked at the same time.

"You mean you really came to help us?" Lucy asked, her eyes full of hope.

"Of course." Erza nodded reassuringly. "I've explained to the Master the situation and he said that we should help. As Wendy said, Alu is part of our family, too. And while I may not approve of her actions, as long as she is part of this guild, I will always aid in your search to find her."

"Alu's our friend, too." Ash added. "And we never leave a friend behind."

"Right." Carol said with a grin. "We'll help you find her."

Seeing their comrades all here to help them was enough to make Natsu, Lucy and Happy give thankful smiles. There was a sense of comfort in knowing that their guild had their backs, especially their teammates.

"Last call to Onibus!" the announcer said. "I repeat, last call to Onibus!"

"That's our ride." Natsu stated. "C'mon."

With that, the group of Fairy Tail Wizards all boarded onto the train.


	11. Chapter 11: Fire vs Water

**Chapter 11**

 **Fire vs. Water**

 _Somewhere in the forest…_

 _SPLASH!_

"AUGH!"

Alu screamed in alarm as a sudden cold wave of water hit her like a sack of bricks, causing her to wake up in a panic. Her eyes snapped open and she soon found herself tumbling off a large boulder, down a small dirt slope, and into the shallows of a stream with a large "SPLASH". Less than a second later, she shot out of water, coughing and spluttering. Her nose burned horribly, like someone had just stuck the inside of her nostrils with lightning. She rubbed her hands all over her face, hoping that could fight off the pain.

"Oh crap, I got water up my nose!" she moaned.

She then turned around angrily.

"Okay, where's the punk who did that?!" she shouted.

"Get up, scruff munchkin!" a harsh, moody voice barked.

Alu snapped her head around and scowled up at the mermaid Celesital Spirit. Aquarius was floating above her with an annoyed expression on her face.

"What's the big idea, Aquarius?!" Alu yelled, shaking her fist in the air. "You tryin' to drown me?!"

"Hey, that's the only way to wake a heavy sleeper." Aquarius sneered. "Although it is a pity that you didn't drown."

Alu leapt to her feet, her whole body stiff with anger and irritation. She was already in a bad mood from having a rude awakening. So any little snide remark that Aquarius would make would be enough to aggravate her even more. If Aquarius thought Alu was going to take her abuse lying down, or even so much as cower at her moody disposition, then that Water Spirit had another thing coming.

Alu didn't back down from anyone, Celestial Spirit or otherwise.

"You better watch it, you Psycho Fish-Face!" she shouted.

Aquarius's eyes flashed in anger, "What did you call me?!"

"You heard me!" Alu replied boldly. "I don't care how bad your attitude is! I'm not afraid of you! You can try to knock me down; but I'll just strike back even harder!"

"I'd like to see you try!" Aquarius raged. "Water puts out fire, you know!"

"I fight Ur all the time!" Alu shot back. "And she's a Water Wizard! I know how to dodge all kinds of water-based attacks!"

"But you've never gone up against my power! I could easily wash you away with the tide!"

"Oh, so you're using that threat on me like you did with my mom, huh?! Well, guess what: that ain't gonna to work on me!"

At the mention of Lucy, Aquarius flinched. For a brief moment, Alu could've sworn that she saw a look of emotional pain in the Water Spirit's face. But it could've just been her imagination. For it was quickly replaced by a deep scowl that was directed at the young mage.

"YOU BETTER WATCH THAT MOUTH OF YOURS OR I'LL TURN YOU INTO A DROWNED CORSPE!" Aquarius screeched.

That's when Alu felt the water at her ankles begin swirl around violently. She looked down for a second and saw that the stream she was standing in was about to erupt. It was a good thing for her that she had quick reflexes. She managed to leap up and out just as a pillar of water exploded from the spot she was standing. If she hadn't leapt out of the way in time, she would've been sent clear up into the sky. Probably for good.

After dodging the attack, Alu summersaulted in the air before landing onto the large boulder she had been sleeping before. Then, with a cry of rage, she launched herself from the rock, her fist blazing with Dragon Slayer fire.

"FIRE DRAGON IRON FIST!"

Before Aquarius had the time to dodge, Alu brought her fist down and punched the Water Spirit right on the cheek. This cause the Celestial Spirit to grimice in pain and slide back a few feet. She winced and brought her hand up to nurse the hit on her face.

She then fixed Alu with a near-death glare and snarled.

"Don't say I didn't warn you!" Alu challenged. "I'm the one person who's not afraid to stand up to people like you!"

"And I'm not afraid of knocking out brats like you!" Aquarius rebuked.

The Water Spirit shot a stream of water out from her silver urn. This time, Alu didn't have time to react. The water hit her so hard that it felt like an ice-burg punched her in the chest and stomach. The blast sent her flying back and she slammed right into the thick trunk of a tree. Alu gasped as pain shot through her back like a hundred needles. The impact stunned her for a moment and she grimaced in discomfort. However, it wasn't long before she was back on her feet and darting back towards Aquarius with vicious strength.

"I thought it was forbidden for Celestial Spirits to take the life of their key holders!" Alu yelled angrily. "What makes you think you could get away by threatening them?!"

Aquarius shot out a whip of water from her urn and shot back, "Well, whatever happened to treating your Spirits with respect?! Didn't your parents teach you any manners?!"

"I've got manners!" Alu rebuked, ducking below the oncoming attack with ease. "And I treat my Spirits with respect! But I'll knock them down if they disrespect me or my family! Just ask Taurus!"

Once Alu was in range of Aquarius, her feet lit up with fire and she jumped.

"FIRE DRAGON TALON!"

With a spin, Alu round-housed kicked Aquarius's urn right out of her hands. The shiny container soared through the air before landing in a bed of green grass.

"You little…!" Aquarius snarled.

She was quickly cut off by Alu's other leg kicking her in the side, knocking her to the ground. Alu gracefully landed on both of her feet, giving a triumphant battle stance.

"It's nice when you have two legs!" Alu taunted with a wicked grin. "Makes it twice as easy to kick people's butts!"

Aquarius suddenly swung around and her tailfin knocked Alu's ankles out from under her, causing the girl to lose her balance and fall onto her side. Alu winced and groaned as she made contact with the hard ground.

"Don't get too cocky, scruff munchkin!" Aquarius warned, getting back up. "Letting your guard down will get you killed!"

"My name's not scruff munchkin!" Alu retorted, rushing up to Aquarius. "It's Alu!"

Alu then swung her fist in an attempt to punch Aquarius again, but the Water Spirit was ready for that. She caught Alu's wrist and kept her fist away from her face. Alu brought her other fist up to try and uppercut Aquarius. Once again, Aquarius grabbed her wrist with her other hand. Alu tried to force her fists in their intended directions, but Aquarius proved to be stronger than she had previously thought. She kept Alu's attacks at bay. When Alu tried to wrench herself free, Aquarius's firm grasp prevented that, too.

"What'd I tell you?!" Aquarius snarled. "Fire can't beat water! And you call yourself a Fire Dragon Slayer! Your flames barely scratched me! They're just pathetic!"

At the statement, Alu's eyes flashed with raging fire. With a cry of anger, her whole body suddenly lit up in a blazing inferno of pale flames.

Aquarius managed to see that coming and immediately let of of the girl's wrists. She backed away as Alu's flames got even more intense. She was lucky she got away in time before her hands were burned. She gave a look of concerned confusion when she saw the young girl's face.

Alu scowled at Aquarius with contorted fury. And the fire blazing around her only added a hostile emphasis to that. It caused her hair to whip around wildly, and her cloths ruffled sharply within the flames as if they were part of them, too. The fire around her was so intense that Aquarius could feel the waves of heat radiating from it.

" **NEVER** INSULT MY FLAMES AGAIN!" Alu roared. "THESE AREN'T JUST MY FLAMES! THEY WERE GIVEN TO ME BY MY FATHER! I DON'T CARE IF YOU ARE A CELESTIAL SPIRIT, I WON'T LET YOU INSULT HIM, OR MY MOTHER!"

Aquarius stared at Alu for a second or two. She then narrowed her eyes in aggression and prepared herself to attack again. Alu responded by shifting her position into a fighting stance. It was clear that both human and Spirit wanted to take each other down.

However, before they could even so much as charge, Aries came running out of the forest and got between the two of them, holding a wide-spread hand out to each of them like some crossing guard trying to stop two Magic mobiles from colliding.

"What are you doing, Aries?!" Aquarius demanded. "Get out of the way!"

But Aries didn't move. She was trembling from the fear of being in between the line of fire, but she somehow found the courage to stand her ground.

"Alu! Aquarius! Please stop it!" she desperately pleaded. "This isn't the time to be fighting each other! We have to get to the Valley of Gates and we only have three days to do so!"

There was an unsteady pause.

Alu grimaced when she looked into Aries's frightened face and felt a nasty jab in her chest. As much as she wanted to teach that arrogant Aquarius a lesson, the last thing she wanted to do was hurt Aries. At this point, there was a good chance that the Golden Ram Spirit would be caught up in the fight.

Finally, the Half-Celestial Wizard Half-Dragon Slayer took a deep breath and relax. Her fiery aura slowly disappeared back into her body and she stood tall. She lowered her head just a bit and closed her eyes. Her expression was very serious, but it was hard to tell if it was from irritation, guilt, or both. Either way, she showed that she no longer had the will to fight at the moment.

"You're right, Aries," she said in low voice. "We're wasting time here."

Aquarius lowered her arms to her sides and raised an eyebrow in surprise. So many things happened at once that she didn't quite know what to think of them. To start, this was one of the rare times that she had ever seen Aries stand up to anyone before. She had always seen Aries a shy, quiet person who would break down at the thought of standing up for herself, especially against her master. But now, the Sheep Spirit stood up not just to Alu, but Aquarius, too.

Aquarius gave an ambiguous expression, but neither Alu nor Aries noticed.

"By the way," Alu said to Aries, "where were you?"

"I just went to see where we were." Aries explained. "I'm sorry for going off on my own without telling anyone."

"Ah, don't worry about it." Alu shrugged. "So, did you find out where we are?"

"Well," Aries replied, "from what I found, we are about one mile away from Onibus. Do you want to stop there to get some more provisions before we head out again? I noticed that you didn't have much when we left, and it would be bad if there was an emergency that we weren't prepared for it."

"Hmm." Alu said thoughtfully. "That's probably a good idea. Might as well since we're close by. However, you and Aquarius should probably wait in the woods. I don't think people will react too well when two Celestial Spirits just casually stroll into town."

Aries nodded in agreement while Aquarius folded her arms and looked away with distain, giving an irritated scoff.

"I'll be in and out of Onibus as quickly as I can, and I won't be there for more than an hour." Alu promised. "It shouldn't take me that long to find what I'll need anyway."

"Just don't take your sweet time like last night, okay." Aquarius said contemptuously. "In case you've forgotten, Aries and I are on a time limit and we still have three-days worth of travel time to cover, and we've already lost precious time thanks to you."

Alu scowled, showing her teeth.

"You're the one who started the fight!" she snapped. "I was just finishing it! Now let's get moving!"

With that, the group of three set out towards the edge of the forest towards the city of Onibus. Alu walked a few yards in the front, clenching her fists and gritting her teeth with boiling impatience. Right now, she was having deep loathing for the snobby Water Spirit. All she did was use her attitude to push people around and make them fearful of her. How Alu's mother could ever consider her a friend was beyond the girl entirely.

Well, one thing was for sure, that wasn't going to work on Alu. Aquarius could threaten her all she wanted and the young wizard would still be unfazed. And if that arrogant Celestial Spirit ever did try to wash her away with the tide, then she would get another thing coming. Alu would just swim up from the depths and give that fish-lady a fist full of her Dragon Slayer Magic.

When she was far enough of ahead of the two Celestial Spirits so that they couldn't hear her, she mumbled grudgingly to herself, "When this is all over I'm gonna to kick that mermaid's butt all over Magnolia!"

* * *

 _An hour later, Onibus Station…_

The train the Fairy Tail wizards were riding slowed down and gradually came to a stop in the terminal. Natsu, Lucy, and the others all got off and regrouped at the entrance. Once they were all together, Erza took charge of the situation.

"Okay, here's the plan," she said commandingly. "We're going to spread out and see if we can find any clues as to whether Alu was here or not. Keep your eyes and ears open for any information that might pinpoint us to her location. And for you Dragon Slayers, use your noses to try and pick up her scent. If anyone finds anything, they are to inform the others immediately."

"Got it!" everyone replied, nodding in unison

"Then let's get searching."

With that, the search-party split up into five groups to look for the little runaway. Lucy and Happy went with Erza to search near the theater; Grey and Ash went to check the outer district; Wendy, Romeo, and Carla went to park; and Gajeel took his daughter Carol to the main marketplace.

Natsu went by himself. At the moment, he had a lot on his mind and he just needed some space to help sort it all out. As much as he tried to concentrate on the task at hand, his thoughts kept getting in the way of his goal.

The thing that had been haunting him the whole time was what would happen when they found Alu. Would she go back with them? Or would they have to drag her back to Magnolia kicking and screaming? And would they be able to keep her from running away again?

Natsu narrowed his eyes when he realized that he couldn't be sure until Alu was found. He would have to put those worries away for now. He would confront them later, if any of them should occur.

"Okay, Natsu," he said to himself, closing his eyes and thinking hard, "time to focus. If I was Alu, where would I be?"

Considering that Alu knew that Natsu was a Dragon Slayer and had keen senses, Natsu deduced that she would most likely want to be somewhere where she could drown out her scent and voice. She would also want to be someplace where she could blend in with a large crowd as much as possible. So his best chances of finding her would have to be in places where there were lots of people.

Even then, he would have to be careful and be on high alert. He would have to focus on singling out Alu, but he would also have make sure Alu didn't sense him first. Alu's Dragon senses were just as strong as his were. If she really was avoiding him, she would most likely escape if she discovered him before he discovered her. Natsu knew from first-hand experience that Alu was a fast little girl. He had to make sure he found her first before she could have the chance to run.

"I guess I check in the most crowded areas first." Natsu said out loud. "Hopefully she's somewhere in this town. That would certainly make things a lot easier."

With that, Natsu set out on his mission.


	12. Chapter 12: Escape from the City

**Chapter 12**

 **Escape from the City**

 _An hour later, Onibus marketplace…_

Alu pushed and shoved her way through the crowds of the Onibus marketplace. Despite the weather being pleasantly warm, she was wearing her green jacket to hide her Fairy Tail insignia. She also had the hood up to conceal her hair. Since she didn't have anything to disguise herself, hiding her most notable features was the next best thing.

After all, there was only one other person who had sakura pink hair and was from Fairy Tail. Those details alone would be enough to give her identity away to anyone. And if they saw her here, they might just contact the Fairy Tail guild. Alu really couldn't afford to let that to happen. She had to be very careful this time.

Alu was hoping to have been able to purchase some travel food, along with some emergency bandages, and get out of Onibus unnoticed. Unfortunately, the city was so crowded that it slowed her down a great deal. Twenty minutes had already passed since the time she had first entered the city, and she still hadn't purchased what she needed. At this rate, she was going to be late getting back to Aries and Aquarius.

She was already starting to imagine what kind of snarky remark Aquarius would say to her when she got back, and it made her blood boil.

"If she gives me some stupid remark I'll bite her head off," she growled bitterly to herself.

Finally, the pink-haired girl came upon an open-air stall that was selling some food. Since she was in a hurry, Alu didn't care what she bought so long as it was relatively cheap and fresh. As a result, she ended up purchasing a loaf of bread, some cheese, and four red-delicious apples from the stall. She put her items in a bag she had tied around her waist underneath her jacket. She then searched for a place where she could get bandages and medicine. Unfortunately, the most that she found were stalls that sold clothing such as shirts, skirts, and bathing suits. None of which Alu found very appealing either. They were too revealing for her liking.

"Oh, just forget it." Alu finally said, frustrated. "I'm running out of time and I really don't want to have to deal with that Psycho Fish-Face. I've got food and that's good enough for me. I'll just…"

Alu didn't get to finish her sentence because it was at that moment she smelled something. It was a scent that made her stiffen in terror and her blood run cold. It was the scent of burning mahogany embers. It wasn't a scent of nature though. That scent belonged to a person.

A person that she knew all too well.

Alu snapped her head in the direction where the scent was the strongest and looked for its source. Among all of the blonde, brown, and black haired-peopled; one man with spiky sakura pink hair stood out in the middle of the crowd. Alu's vision seemed to zoom through the crowd and enlarge the man's image in her mind, and she jolted in fright.

It was Natsu! No doubt about it!

"Dad?!" Alu shrieked under a whisper. "What's he doing here?!"

The moment Alu voiced the question, her mind immediately gave her the answer.

 _"Oh duh! He's looking for_ _me_ _! Crap, I didn't think he'd start looking for me this early! I can't let him catch me this time!"_

Alu grabbed the edges of her hood to prevent it from coming off her head and turned around. She began to move through the mass of people again, this time at a much quicker pace. She pushed and shoved even harder than before, not even stopping to apologize even when people yelled at her for jostling them. She kept her ears open solely on her father actions. Despite all of the large crowd with its jumble of noises, and the distance between her and her father, she could hear him very clearly. She could hear him moving through the crowd quickly. His sandals clattered against the the cobblestone pavement in fast succession and he was sniffing the air intently.

 _"Oh crap, he's trying to pick up my scent!"_ Alu's mind raced frantically. _"He might have picked it up already! If he catches me, I'm done for! I just hope all these people will be enough to slow him down!"_

The moment Alu exited the crowd, she made a bolt for the park. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her. Her best chance of escaping was to put some distance between her and her father before he caught her scent.

Keeping all of her senses sharp and open, she headed towards the center of the park. She knew full well that she was more vulnerable now that she was out in the open. Natsu would be able to track her more easily now that she wasn't among so many people. She had to hurry and find a way out of Onibus.

She was about to run down a set of cement stairs, but quickly came to a dead stop. Just walking by the foot of the steps was Wendy and Romeo, with Carla hovering beside them.

 _"They're here, too?!"_ Alu's mind shrieked.

"I don't think Alu's here, Wendy." Romeo said.

"Yeah, but I think she is in Onibus." Wendy replied. "I keep picking up her scent."

 _"Crap!"_ Alu's mind said. _"They're looking for me, too!"_

"In fact," Wendy said curiously, "I can smell her like she's close by."

Just then, Carla's head happened to turn and she looked up in Alu's direction. The young Wizard's face turned pale the moment she made eye contact with the little snowy-white Exceed.

She had recognized her. Even with her jacket on, Carla still managed to see the little pink wisps of hair that were beginning to sway out of the hood. That mixed with Alu's dark eyes pretty much told her who this girl was.

"Alu, there you are!" Carla exclaimed.

Wendy and Romeo both turned to look up at Alu. The girl let only a startled shriek before turning darting away from the stairs.

"Alu, wait!" Wendy shouted.

But Alu kept running. Her acute hearing told her that Wendy and Romeo were running up the steps behind her. That would certainly buy her a few more precious seconds. But just as Alu thought she was safe, something else happened. Something that made Alu's fleeing instinct to kick into overdrive.

"Wendy! Romeo!"

Natsu had caught up.

* * *

Natsu rushed over to both Wendy and Romeo just as they had come up the stairs.

"Natsu, Alu's here!" Romeo called when he saw the Fire Dragon Slayer. "She went that way!"

Natsu ran right past the trio and after the teenaged girl that was now just several yards ahead of him. She had obviously heard him, because she was running away from him at top speed. Not only that, she didn't even bother trying to keep her hood up. It fell off her head, letting her sakura-pink hair fly freely.

"Alu!" Natsu called out. "Come back here!"

Alu heard him, but she didn't obey. If anything, Natsu's voice just frightened her even more. She started to run even faster.

But Natsu wasn't going to give up so easily. He pulled all of the strength he had in his legs and sprinted to catch up with the girl. Every single instinct in his body was telling him to catch Alu no matter what. It was clear to see by now that she wasn't going to come home willingly. And while it pained Natsu to see that, it wasn't going to stop him from getting his daughter back. He was going to bring her home to Fairy Tail, even if he had to use force.

Of course, reaching Alu was easier said than done. Both Natsu and Alu were very physically fit and could run for long periods of time before becoming tired.

Natsu had some advantages in that he was physically stronger than Alu and could take longer strides than her in his steps. But Alu had some advantages, too. For one, she was smaller than Natsu, which allowed her to move more swiftly than him. This kept her at a good distance away from him.

Bue Alu also had another skill that Natsu had forgotten about, which was that she was very agile and could turn on a dime.

And that's exactly what she did. Before Natsu could guess what her next move was going to be, Alu abruptly made a beeline toward a row of bushes and dove into them.

"ALU!" Natsu shouted, skidding to try and change his direction.

Alu came out on the other side of the bushes and summersaulted back onto her feet. In less than a second after that, she was running again. By the time Natsu had leapt over bushes and caught sight of her, she was scrambling up a nearby tree until she found a branch that could support her weight. Before he could reach her, she was jumping from tree to tree. Natsu realized what she was trying to do, he had seen her use this strategy often enough. She was trying to use higher ground to stay out of reach of her father. However, Natsu also knew how to intercept her. He ran beneath Alu, looking for the right moment to snag her ankle.

But just as he was about to jump…

SLAM!

Natsu ran straight into a large, concrete wall. He fell over onto his back and laid in the grass, dazed and stunned from the impact. Unable to move for a moment, all he could do was watch as Alu leapt up onto the rim of the wall he had just ran into and disappeared onto the other side.

"Natsu!"

Wendy, Romeo, and Carla came rushing over the the fallen Fire Dragon Slayer.

"Don't worry about me!" Natsu yelled dizzily. "Just get that kid!"

All three hesitated for a moment before simultaneously agreeing. They ran past Natsu and headed for a staircase that would take them out of the park and into the streets of the city again.

Although Alu had managed to evade them, Wendy's powerful sense of smell could detect where she was, and where she was going. All the Sky Dragon Slayer had to do was follow the scent of mahogany and vanilla.

"She's heading towards the theater!" she informed Romeo and Carla as they ran down cobblestone street.

"That's where Lucy and Erza are!" Carla pointed out.

"If she runs into Erza, she's not getting away!" Romeo said with a nervous grin. "Actually, I don't know who would be scarier right now: Erza or Lucy!"

Wendy was only half-listening to what Romeo said. Most of her powers of concentration were focused onto her nose and scent it was tracking.

One of the advantages of being the Sky Dragon Slayer was that Wendy's sense of smell was the strongest out of all the Dragon Slayers. It took a few years for her to master it completely, but she was now at a level where she could effectively use the air to sniff out whatever she needed to. Not only that, she could also track her target's every movement, even from a great distance.

And right now, that skill was coming in very handy.

"Wait!" Wendy said quickly. "She's changed direction! She must've spotted Lucy and Erza because she's running away! Faster than before!"

"Where's she going?" Romeo asked.

"To one of the outer districts!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Gajeel and his daughter Carol were just walking out of the busy marketplace and into the outer district of the city.

Carol was a slender fourteen-year-old girl who came up just a little bit past her father's elbow. She had long wavy black hair that was tied back into a high pony tail, reddish hazel eyes, and fair skin.

She wore a black sleeveless shirt underneath a set of Iron Dragon Scale armor that covered her chest and abdomen. On her arms were white fingerless gloves that stretched up to the middle of her upper arms. On her lower arms were a matching set of Iron Dragon Scale guards. She wore a tight black skirt that reached down to the center of her thighs. Underneath were white leggings that went down to her knees. On her feet was a matching set of brown boots that were enforced by a pair of Iron Dragon Scale guards. Around her waist was a belt with a pair small dagger-looking weapons in their sheaths, and a larger sword was strapped to her back.

At the moment, she and her father were making their way down a path that would take them to one of the outer districts of the city.

"I still don't know why you wanted us to tag along." Gajeel said irritably. "Personally, I think we have more than enough people out looking for that little terror."

"I guess so," Carol replied calmly, "but Alu is pretty slippery. One time when we were assigned to stop a bunch of bandits, she dodged every single one of them without getting a single scratch. Well...that is until her Magic ran out and we had to save her."

"Hmph," Gajeel grunted. "She seems to run out of Magic easily. It's kind of annoying."

"Dad!" Carol snapped. "Alu works really hard to be a Fairy Tail wizard!"

"When she's not causing trouble for everyone else," the Iron Dragon Slayer grumbled sarcastically.

Carol was about to say something when a male voice from behind them shouted, "Gajeel, Carol, she's coming your way!"

The two Fairy Tail wizards both whipped around to see what was going. Much to their surprise, Gray and Ash were racing down the street towards them. A few yards in front of them, a pink-haired girl in a green jacket was trying to outrun them. When she saw Gajeel and Carol, she skidded to a stop and tried to escape in the opposite way. However, she didn't get far when she remembered that Gray and Ash were there. She then attempted to dash down a nearby alley

"Gajeel!" Gray shouted.

Gajeel didn't need another command. He darted from his spot and blockaded the girl's line of retreat just in time. Alu reacted quickly and turned around, only to be stopped by Carol barring her way.

Seeing her one last chance to get away, Alu tried to sprint down a street just to her right. However, before she had time to move her feet, she staggered and nearly fell over. She regained her balance quickly and looked down to see that her feet were encased in ice, planting her firmly to the ground. Her head snapped up and saw that a reluctant Ash had trapped her with his Ice Magic.

"Oh, c'mon Ash!" Alu whined. "I thought we were friends!"

"Sorry, Alu." Ash replied, frowning.

"You don't need to apologize, Ash." Gray said sternly, looking at the captured girl. "Alu, you should've known better than to run away from home like that. You've caused us a lot of trouble, you know."

Alu just scowled at the older Ice Maker Wizard.

"Gray! Gajeel!"

The two men looked behind up the street and saw Lucy and Erza racing towards them. Happy was close behind, using his Aera wings to fly.

"We got her, guys." Gray informed.

Lucy almost gave a relieved smile when a shocked expression came over her face. She stopped dead in her tracks and stared at Alu with an angry expression. This made everyone else freeze and look at the Celestial Wizard with concern.

Why was Lucy so mad?

"Gemini!" Lucy suddenly shouted.

At that second, the figure that was Alu disappeared in a puff of smoke and turned into the two little blue Spirits.

"Piri – Piri!" they chimed together, almost teasingly.

"What?!" Carol shrieked.

"Are you kidding me?!" Gajeel bellowed in irritation. "Not those two gremlins again!"

"Gemini!" Lucy scolded. "What are you doing here?!"

"We're just following out master's orders." Gemi said cheekily. "She wanted us to lead you away so she could escape the city."

"Are you serious?!" Lucy cried, clenching in annoyed distress.

"Hey," Mini replied in the same tone as her twin, "you're the one who gave us to her, remember?"

Before the others could do anything else, Gemini disappeared in a puff of smoke, chiming their usual catchphrase, "Piri – Piri."

This left the Fairy Tails all dumbfounded and annoyed.

Once again, Alu's prankster habits let her slip through their fingers.

"Lucy," Gajeel finally said dryly, "I have to question your reasoning on this one. What in the hell were you thinking when you gave that little terror of yours Gemini?"

Lucy shot Gajeel a nasty glare, making him step back a bit in defense.

"Trust me, they will be the first thing I take from her when I get my hands on her!" she snarled. "Now let's get back to finding Alu before she leaves the city!"

"Oh, she could be anywhere by now." Happy moaned.

"Then let's get moving." Carol spoke up. "We can't waste anymore time. Maybe the others have found her."

"You're right, Carol." Erza nodded. "We need to hurry and see if Natsu or Wendy have found her."

With that matter settled, the group set on their search again.

* * *

Meanwhile, Natsu recovered from his previous collision with a concrete wall and had resumed his chase for his daughter. Now that he knew she was here, it didn't take him long to track her down again. He pursued her like a cheetah after its prey, not letting her out his sight for more than five seconds. Alu tried to evade him by ducking in and out of alleyways and dodging through crowds. But no matter what she tried, he just appeared either ahead of her or behind her.

At one point, Alu was so desperate to get away that she wasn't watching where she was going. She crashed right into a stand that was selling perfume and three glass bottles of Cherry Blossom spray broke and spilled on her, soaking her from head to toe. Although that powerful scent punched her in the face like a fist, she recovered quickly and darted away just as Natsu was about to reach out and grab her. He would've gotten her immediately after if he didn't slip on bottle of perfume and fall to the ground. That gave Alu the lead, at least for a while.

Thanks to the crowded area, Alu managed to get ahead of Natsu for a moment, but this added scent of Cherry Blossoms only gave Natsu another tracking device to use. And this one was even stronger than Alu's regular one. He wasn't going to lose her trail this time.

Finally, he chased Alu to the edge of the city.

"ALU!" Natsu shouted. "GET BACK HERE NOW! I MEAN IT!"

Alu didn't listen. She just kept running like her life depended on it.

This only made Natsu increase his own speed. He was going to catch her.

He saw his opportunity when Alu led them to a wall with a narrow opening in it. Seeing as the wall was too high to jump over from where she was on the ground, Alu had no choice but to try and squeeze through the opening. On the other side was the forest where Aries and Aquarius were waiting for her. All she had to do was get through that crack, and she would be able to escape.

Luckily for Alu, she was just small enough to fit through the crevasse. Holding her breath and making herself skinnier, she squirmed through with little difficulty. However, the time she used to get through allowed Natsu to catch up with her. While the opening was too small for his body, his arm was just the right size and length to reach through and seized his daughter's jacket in mighty grip.

Alu let out an involuntary yelp and came to a forced stop.

"Enough, Alu!" Natsu strained, panting heavily for air. "You're coming back with me right now! You've got some explaining to – "

Alu didn't wait for Natsu to finish his sentence. With a sudden burst of determination, she wriggled out of her jacket and sprinted away.

"ALU!" Natsu shouted, trying to squeeze through the crevasse after her.

However, he stopped when he saw Alu turn and look back at him for a moment. His eyes widened when he saw the expression on her face. It was just a brief glimpse, but he could see that tears were beginning to brim her dark green eyes. And the expression on her face was one that startled him the most.

Alu looked lost, afraid, and hurt.

The girl then grimaced and turned away. She darted into the forest, disappearing among the trees.

Natsu slowly backed away from the wall and then stopped. He lifted his daughter's now Cherry Blossom-smelling jacket and clutched it tightly in both hands. He lowered his head, making his bangs fall over his face and hid his eyes in shadow. All that was coursing through him now was confusion and pain.

Alu ran away from him. She actually ran away from him. What's more, she did it with clear determination. She wanted to get away from him. She wanted to escape. She didn't want to go back. That much was all too clear for Natsu to deny.

But then again, why did she look back at him with an expression like that? It was like it pained her to leave her father behind.

He just couldn't understand it. Why would Alu run away from him like this?

"Why, Alu?" he whispered bitterly to himself. "Why?"

Natsu wasn't the type to cry, but a single tear managed to leak from the rim of his eye and slowly slid down his cheek. It dripped off of his chin and landed on the jacket in his hands. He gritted his teeth and forced the rest to stay where they were.

He didn't want to show any weakness when he found the others. Even after all this he still had to be strong for everyone else.

* * *

Alu ran through the forest. Her legs ached and she was breathless, but she kept going. She soon came upon the place where Aquarius and Aries were waiting for her and slowed down to a stop to catch her breath.

"Alu!" Aries exclaimed when she saw her key holder. "Are you alright?! What happened?!"

"I'm fine." Alu gasped, hunched over and supporting herself with her hands on her knees. "But we need to…get moving. Mom and Dad…and some other Wizards…are looking for me. I got away…but they'll be…on our trail soon."

Aquarius gave an irritated sneer.

"Well, that's what you get for coming unprepared," she lectured. "And now we've wasted even more time thanks to you. And why the hell do you smell like Cherry Blossoms? Did you WANT your daddy to find us or…?"

Alu shot Aquarius a deadly gaze.

"Aquarius!" she growled menacingly. "You say another stupid thing, so help me, I'll blow your face off with a Fire Dragon Roar!"

"Alu!" Aries yelped, stepping back in alarm.

She knew that Alu was upset, but she never expected her to say a threat like that. Even that wasn't like the Alu that Aries knew.

Aqurius didn't speak, but she did look at the pink-haired girl with a defensive scowl.

"Let's go." Alu commanded.

Without speaking another word, the group hastily made their way through the forest once again. This time, Alu trailed behind so that neither Celestial Spirit could see her face. She really didn't want them to see her in right now. She tried so hard to restrain herself, but she couldn't repress the tears that were welling up in her eyes.

Those tears were caused by the image of her father's face. She felt a horrible tug in her heart when she remembered how horrified he looked when she ran away from him. It killed her to think about it.

What was worse was that it was too late to change anything. If there was some other way to resolve the issue, Alu had missed it. What was done was done.

She couldn't change it now. All she could do was think over that painful image and feel it's effects stab her heart like little knives. It was enough to make a few tears slip past the rim of her eyes and trickle down her cheeks.

 _"I'm sorry, Dad,"_ her mind whispered bitterly. _"I'm so sorry."_


	13. Chapter 13: Sabertooth's Sworn Vengeance

**Chapter 13**

 **Sabertooth's Sworn Vengeance**

 _Later that night…_

After cleaning herself in a nearby spring to wash the perfume smell off, Alu got dressed and walked back to the campsite and sat down by herself on a fallen log, watching the fire before her grow smaller with each passing minute. The look on her face was one of weariness and discouragement.

Alu was exhausted and all of her muscles ached, but she couldn't seem to fall asleep. So many thoughts were rushing around in her head at such an incredible speed that she couldn't keep her eyes closed for very long. Her emotions were on a tidal wave of low-self esteem and frustration to really low self-esteem and frustration.

Meanwhile, Aries and Aquarius were slumbering soundly, despite the fact that they hadn't gone through the same events that Alu did back in Onibus. It was like they didn't have a care in the world.

Alu envied them.

 _"I seem to envy a lot of people lately,"_ she thought downheartedly to herself. _"Even my friends. Ur maybe a stuck up know-it-all, but I have to admit, she knows how to handle water attacks. Ash is almost as good as his dad at Ice Maker Magic. Heck, even Carol has more talent than me, and she doesn't even have Magic at all. But she can create all sorts of weapons and armor by combining of her dad's Dragon Iron with Magic lacrimas. Not to mention, she's a master swordsman thanks to Pantherlily's training. I wouldn't be surprise if she could go toe-to-toe with Erza in someday."_

Alu looked down at her left hand and lit up a small ball of pale fire in her palm. She frowned sadly as she stared at it. It wasn't the strong radiant red and orange that her father had, despite the fact that it was Dragon Slayer Magic, just like his.

 _"And then there's me: the weak little half-wizard of Fairy Tail. My fire looks sickly and I can only summon two Spirits at a time. I just don't understand it. I'm born with these two kinds of Magic, but I can barely use them to their full potential. You'd think I'd be the most powerful Wizard in the guild. But I'm just pathetic. I bet my parents weren't as pitiful as me when they were my age."_

Alu shut her eyes tightly as the thought of her parents roused the memories of what happened earlier that day. She clenched her fist and extinguished her small flame, remembering the look on father's face as she bolted away from him. She lowered her head into her hands and braced her elbows on her thighs. She sat still like that for about five minutes, just listening to the crackle of the campfire.

After a while, she reached under her vest to the pocket on her belt and pulled Aquarius's broken key off of the chain. She held it in the palm of her right hand and stared at it for a moment. With a troubled frown, she closed her eyes and closed her fingers around the hilt.

 _"I know Mom and Dad are looking for me. But for what? So I can get kicked out of the guild for breaking more stupid rules? I can't go back. Not now. Not until this key is repaired. Once I've done that, then…just maybe…I'll finally be accepted. And not be seen as a half-wizard anymore."_

* * *

 _In a hotel in Onibus…_

Meanwhile, Natsu, Lucy, Happy, and the others who had joined them on their search for Alu all check into a local hotel for the night. The arrangements worked out by them getting four rooms. Gray and Ash let Romeo stay with them. Erza shared a room with Wendy and Carla. Gajeel and Carol had a room of their own, as did Natsu, Lucy and Happy.

Around the time of eleven thirty at night, Happy was fully asleep on a large pillow that rested on a chair in the corner of the room. He purred contently, having nice dream about fish. It was plain to see that not even the loudest train in the all of Fiore would wake him up, even if it was passing by directly outside the window.

If only the same could be said for Natsu and Lucy. Both of them were fill almost to the brim with anxiety and confusion about their runaway daughter. For a while, neither one spoke to each other. They tried so hard to fall asleep, but those agonizing thoughts of Alu's actions that day, as well as the wonderings of where she was now, haunted them like a ghost.

Finally, Lucy broke the silence.

"Natsu," she whispered. "Do you think Alu is okay?"

Natsu didn't respond. He just laid flat on his back and stared up into the darkness of the ceiling.

"I'm sure she's fine," he said at last. "You know she's a tough kid."

"I wish I was as sure as you." Lucy sighed sadly. "But just don't understand why she would run away like this. I…I can't help but think we might have done something wrong."

Natsu said nothing. He didn't know if he could answer that question. He just bit his lip and fell silent. He wanted to believe that he and Lucy has raised Alu as best as they could, but he couldn't shake the feeling that they might have missed something crucial. He knew from the beginning that being a parent wasn't going to be easy, but even he couldn't imagine that it would be as hard as this.

As Natsu was thinking about this, the sound of Lucy sniffling caught his attention. He turned his head over to his left to look at her lying beside him. She was resting on her side with her back towards him so he couldn't see her face. However, he could tell from her shaky breathes and shivering body that she was crying. She was trying to hold back her emotions as best she could, but she just couldn't anymore.

"Why?" Lucy whimpered. "First Mom, then Dad, Aquarius, and now Alu. Why does everyone I love leave me?"

Natsu looked at his wife, his eyebrows lowing in sympathy. He understood her pain of losing a member of the family. There were times when he still felt the agonizing tug in his heart whenever he thought of losing his foster father, Igneel. And now he was feeling that same jerk again, only now it was because his daughter was lost. While he knew that Alu was still alive, he couldn't stop the ache from happening.

Still, he knew he had to be strong for Lucy's sake.

Natsu moved closer and gently wrapped Lucy in his arms. He felt her stiffen for a moment as the gesture surprised her, but she didn't reject his embrace. She welcomed it.

Natsu held her close to him, feeling the soft fabric of her nightdress press up against his abdomen. He closed his eyes and rested his cheek against her soft, golden hair for a moment. He then tilted his face and gently kissed her temple.

"I love you, Lucy," he whispered in her ear. "And I'm still here."

Lucy kept her eyes closed and relaxed. She gave a small, thankful smile and cuddled against Natsu until she could feel his heartbeat on her back. She gently grasped on of his strong arms with her left hand as he shifted his head and rested it in the crook of her neck. She felt as if she was absorbing the strength and hope that the warmth of his body gave off. She breathed steadily as she let it seep through her skin.

While Lucy's feeling of sadness and loss hadn't subsided completely, the horrible loneliness that tortured her heart vanished. Instead, it was replaced with a feeling of security and assurance. She wasn't alone. Not with Natsu beside her.

It didn't matter what situation it was, Natsu always had a way of making her feel safe. Whether it was fighting off enemies with all the brute strength he had, or cradling her in his arms with love and care, she always felt protected whenever he was near.

And he was right. He was still here.

"I promise," Natsu whispered, his breath warming Lucy's neck, "I'll find Alu and bring her back."

"I'm coming with you." Lucy whispered back. "Don't forget, Alu's my daughter, too. I'll do whatever it takes to bring her home."

Natsu paused for a moment before finally nodding. He knew that there was no use in arguing with Lucy on this one. She was a dedicated mother, and she was going to find Alu no matter what.

"And Natsu," Lucy said softly.

"Yeah?"

"I love you, too. I'll always be here for you."

Natsu smiled at that statement and nuzzled his face deeper into Lucy's neck, whispering, "I know."

Finally, the couple managed to fall asleep.

* * *

 _In the city of the Sabertooth Guild…_

Under the starry sky, the Sabertooth Celestial Wizard, Yukino Agria, stood on a bridge that overlooked the city, her faced turned up to the heavens. As a gentle breeze swept over her, she tightened her snowy-white shawl around her shoulders. She looked up and down the bridge for any sign of the man she was waiting for. She then took a peek at the little time-keeping lacrima on her wrist. About fifteen minutes had passed since the appointed time she was supposed to meet him.

He was never this late.

"I guess Rogue must've gotten held up," she said calmly. "But I know he'll be here soon."

Just then, Yukino heard the sound of footsteps approaching. She turned with a smile, expecting it to be Rogue. However, that smile vanished when she saw that it was someone else.

Someone she didn't recognize.

It was a person in a dark cloak. Their face was concealed by the hood, so Yukino couldn't make out their identity.

"Who are you?" she asked cautiously.

The next thing Yukino knew, something shot out of the shadow's of the stranger's cloak and headed straight for her. It happened too fast that she didn't have time to summon any of her Celestial Spirits, or to so much as dodge out of the way. She was struck in the chest by a black tentacle-like appendage, and her whole body froze like she had been petrified. She opened her mouth to cry for help, but no scream came out. Her golden-brown eyes, widened with shock, pain and horror, slowly began lose their light. Her whole world disappeared into darkness.

Finally, the black tentacle pulled out a shining aqua colored orb from her chest. Yukino swayed for a moment, and then fell to the ground.

The dark tentacle that held her soul captive slithered back to its master like a snake, and placed it in his outstretched hand. As he closed his fist around it, he absorbed its power and briefly glowed in a purplish-gold aura.

A sinisterly pleased grin spread across his face.

"First step completed," he said in a low voice. "Now onto phase two."

With that, the stranger disappeared back into the shadows of the night.

A second or two later, a man with onyx-black hair came running up on the other side of the bridge. He wore a dark grey cloak with a white Sabertooth insignia on the left side, just over his shoulder.

The man's name was Rogue Cheney.

Flying beside him was an adorable little green Exceed dressed in a pink frog suit. The Exceed's name was Frosch.

"Yukino," Rogue said apologetically as he walked up the bridge, "sorry I'm late, I had some things to…"

Rogue's sentence died in his mouth the moment Yukino's fallen form came into view.

"Yukino!" he exclaimed.

The Shadow Dragon Slayer immediately dashed over to the young woman and knelt down to her level. Her back rose and fell steadily, showing that she was still breathing, and she didn't seem to have any injuries on her.

Still, something was very wrong.

Rogue began to shake he shoulder, trying to wake her up.

"Yukino! Yukino! Are you alright?!"

"Rogue, what's wrong with her?" Frosch asked in a frightened voice as he landed beside his partner. "Why won't she wake up?"

"I don't know, Frosch." Rogue answered with a small sign of distress in his tone.

It was at that moment that something struck Rogue like a brick to the head. Yukino was ice cold, and her skin had gone ash-pale. His eyes widened in terror for a moment, and he feared the worst. Hoping he was wrong, he quickly but carefully rolled the white-haired Celestial Wizard over onto her back and placed two fingers against her neck. He felt her pulse, and his face went white.

She was breathing, she had her pulse, but she was as cold as death and not responding.

That could only mean that the worst had indeed happened.

Rogue didn't waste another moment. He immediately scooped the unconscious Yukino up in his arms ran as fast as he could towards the Sabertooth guildhall. Frosch immediately summoned his Aera wings and flew after the Shadow Dragon Slayer.

"Rogue, what's wrong?!" he asked, worried.

"I'll explain later, Frosch!" Rogue said, his voice filled with fear. "Right now, we have to get Yukino to the guild!"

* * *

 _The Sabertooth Guild, the next morning…_

In the main hall of the Sabertooth Guild, all of the members stood about, asking each other questions with concern. The only information they had been given earlier was that there had been an incident, and that everyone needed to be present. Naturally, they were all curious as to what had happened that warranted this assembly. At the same time, they were afraid of the news they would hear. They knew their Guild Master would only summon all of them like this if there was a crisis of some kind.

They were all about to get their answer when Sting entered the room with Rogue and Minerva beside him. Upon seeing their Guild Master, the whole room fell silent, and everyone turned to attention. They were soldiers waiting for their general to give them an order. They became even more worried when they saw the trio.

Minerva had a stern, grave expression; Rogue's whole body was tense and his mouth was tightened with repressing anger; and Sting had a vicious scowl on his face.

As the Light Dragon Slayer reached his seat at the front of the room, he turned and looked out over the assembled crowd.

"Brothers and sisters of Sabertooth," he addressed in a low, firm voice, "the reason I brought you all here today is because a heinous crime was inflicted on a member of our guild."

The Sabertooth wizards all gasped in unison and began to exchange nervous expressions.

Sting continued in a voice that was as bitter as poison.

"Last night, Yukino was attacked. Whoever assaulted her didn't killed her, but they did something even more unforgivable. They stole her soul."

The whole room fell silent and everyone stared in horror. Even the strongest and bravest wizards of the guild felt a shiver of fear run down their spines.

For someone to have the soul stolen was a fate worse than death. They would be just an empty shell, neither alive nor dead. Unless their soul was returned to them, they would remain in a comatose state for eternity.

After he relayed this news to them, Sting clenched his fists and gritted his teeth in fury. His whole body shook with rage, and his Dragon Slayer magic was beginning to spark around him.

"Out of all the things they could've done, they did this!" he snarled. "Anyone who harms a member of our guild, our family, will not escape! Whoever did this has now made themselves an enemy of the Sabertooth Guild!"

Suddenly, Sting's power erupted in a white-hot anger. His wrath was so great that it caused him to enter his Dragon Force state. His eyes blazed, and his expression deepened into an even more dangerous scowl.

"We'll show the bastard who dared to hurt Yukino like this just how bad they screwed up! We'll hunt them down and show them just how deadly an angry tiger can be!"

The whole guild suddenly erupted in furious shouts and yells of revenge, raising their fists high into the air. Their fear and shock had quickly been replaced with a vengeful rage after their Master's rousing speech. No one did something like this to a member of their guild and gets away with it. Especially to someone like Yukino, who was the kindest and sweetest person in their guild.

They would not rest until they found the one who committed this crime, and exacted justice.

* * *

After the guild meeting, Rogue left the room in silence and headed towards the infirmary. For a while, he just stood at Yukino's bedside, looking down at her pale face. She might have looked like she was asleep, but he knew that this was a slumber that she wouldn't wake from. Not so long as her soul was still missing.

Rogue frowned in guilt. Ever since he found out what happened to her, he felt horribly responsible for it. If he had only gotten to her sooner, he might have been able to protect her from whoever took her soul.

But he was too late. He should've been there, but he wasn't. Now this had happened to her.

"I'm sorry, Yukino," he muttered. "It's my fault this happened to you. If only I had been there sooner. I could've saved you. Please, forgive me."

The Shadow Dragon Slayer then leaned over and cupped his right hand around the side of her face, caressing her cheek with his thumb. His left hand reached inside his pocket and clasped something inside it.

"But I promise you, I'll get your soul back," he said. "And when I do, I'll tell you what I was going to tell you last night. Just hang on until then. I know you can."

Rogue slowly removed his hand and stood up straight. He looked down at the Celestial Wizard one more time before silently turning around and walking out of the infirmary. As he left, he closed the door softly behind him.

Frosch was waiting for him with a sad expression on his face. His big, puppy-dog eyes were brimmed with tears, and he was shivering a little.

"Rogue," he whimpered, "is Yukino going to be okay?"

Rogue stopped and looked down at the ground for a moment. He closed his eyes in deep thought, summoning all of the hope he had left inside him. He had to believe that he could help Yukino, and that she was going to make it. He just had to.

Finally, with a forced smile, he nodded and looked back up at his Exceed partner.

"Don't worry, Frosch," he answered. "She'll be fine. I know we'll save her somehow."

Frosch smiled at the encouraging statement.

"I think so, too," he said.

"C'mon, let's go."

With that, Rogue and Frosch headed towards the guildhall's exit.

As they stepped out into the morning sunlight, Rogue narrowed his eyes and thought to himself,

 _"I swear, when I find the one who did this, I'll make them pay!"_


	14. Chapter 14: Fire Legacy

**Chapter 14**

 **Fire Legacy**

 _The next morning, Onibus Train Station…_

After checking out of the hotel, the Fairy Tail wizards all headed down towards the train station, where they discussed their next plan of action.

"So you and Carol are heading back home?" Erza asked Gajeel.

"Don't see why we should stick around." Gajeel replied gruffly. "Alu made it clear yesterday that she doesn't want to come home."

"All the more reason we should go after her." Natsu glared. "What kind of father just abandons his daughter like that? What if Carol ran away? Would you just leave her, or would you go after her yourself?"

Gajeel looked at Natsu for a moment, raising one of his eyebrows. He then glanced over at Carol, who was staring at him with a plain expression. She seemed to already know his answer, even though he didn't verbally state it.

Gajeel understood Natsu's feelings completely. Being that he was a father himself, of course he would go after Carol if she ran away. However, Gajeel's situation was different. He never had to worry about his daughter running off on dangerous jobs without permission. Carol wasn't like Alu in that regard. While Alu acted purely on impulse, Carol was more practical.

Gajeel couldn't even begin to imagine her running away for any reason.

But Alu was a different story altogether. Gajeel would even dare to say that she was more reckless than bother her father and mother combined. By now, the Iron Dragon Slayer had lost count of the times that either Natsu or Lucy had to go after her. Not to mention all of the times they had to save her life because of her own rashness.

Yet, despite all that, Natsu still went after that little troublemaker.

"I swear, Salamander," Gajeel said in a low voice, shaking his head. "Someday that kid of yours going to be the death of you."

"Dad!" Carol barked, giving the man a stern glare.

"Hey, I'm just stating the obvious," the Iron Dragon Slayer shrugged.

"No, you're not." Lucy scowled. "You're being pessimistic. We're going to find Alu."

"Well, she's your kid, not mine. Just don't be surprised if she tries to escape from you again."

Natsu's glared deepened so much that he started to bare his teeth. Although it hurt him to hear such things, he couldn't help but have a small premonition in the back of his mind that Gajeel might be right.

However, Natsu wasn't the type to dwell on problems for to long. He immediately shoved the horrible idea out of his mind.

"If she does then we'll just keep on chasing her until we catch her," he declared. "We're not going to let her go like that."

Gajeel was just about to speak again when the train pulling into the station came to a stop and the doors opened. Out of one them stepped two Sabertooth wizards with a little ginger cat with wings following close behind them.

It was Sting, Minerva, and Lector the Exceed.

The three of them turned to their left and saw the Fairy Tail wizards just a few yards away.

"Natsu!" Sting called out as they approached them.

All the Fairy Tail wizards turn to see their allies walking towards them.

"Sting, Minerva, Lector." Lucy greeted. "What are you doing here?"

The three Sabertooth wizards looked at each other for a moment, their faces hardening in painful anger. This already told the others that something was wrong.

Finally, Minerva grimaced and turned back to the blond-haired woman.

"Last night, Yukino was attacked," she said gravely.

Everyone suddenly became alert at that explanation.

"What?!" Lucy gasped. "Yukino was attacked?! Is she okay?!"

Silence.

For a second or two, none of the Sabertooth wizards would give an answer. Lucy looked at Natsu with rising concern. Natsu looked back at her, knowing exactly what she was thinking. He was thinking the same thing.

Whatever happened to Yukino wasn't good.

Finally, Sting said in a dark voice, "'Fraid she's not. Someone stole her soul."

That was enough to make all of the Fairy Tail wizards gasp in alarm. Everyone knew that only one kind of power could've done that.

It wasn't Magic Power. It was Curse Power.

The older generation of Fairy Tail had an experience with this kind of power, back in the darker chapters of their lives. For Ash and Carol, although they themselves had never encountered this kind of power before, they heard enough from their parents and other members of the guild to know that it was something bad.

"You don't think…Tartaros is back?" Natsu asked hesitantly.

Although Natsu had spoken in a composed tone, there was a very small hint of dread in his voice.

At the mention of Tartaros, Lucy turned to look at her husband with concern. While his expression was one of suspicion, Lucy could tell that it was just one of his masks to conceal his fear. For Natsu's face had turned very white, and he was shivering a little.

And Lucy knew why.

While everyone had a horrible experience with Tartaros, Natsu had the probably one of the worse, both during and after the incident. That Dark Guild was just a reminder of his connection to Zeref, the Wizard of Darkness. Even to this day, just the very mention certain things like Tartaros, Alvarez, or anything connected to Zeref was enough to make Natsu tense up.

He still hadn't gotten over the fact that Zeref had brought him back to life in the form of a Demon, END. And that Demon side of him was what caused so much chaos and mayhem ever since Tartaros attacked.

Natsu was just lucky he was able to get out of all of it alive, and regain his human existence.

Sensing his distress, Lucy reached out and placed a gentle hand on his right shoulder, her thumb resting over his guild mark. He glanced over at her, his onyx-black eyes meeting her soft brown ones. He took a small inhale of air and released the tension in his body. Just looking at her reminded him that something good had come out of that ordeal in his life.

One thing Natsu had to be grateful for was that because of Zeref's efforts, he was given the chance to meet Lucy. He was certainly happy to have her in his life.

Before Natsu could think any further on this, Sting interrupted his thoughts.

"I don't know if it's Tartaros," the Sabertooth Master said. "It has been years since we've fought and defeated them, and they haven't showed even the slightest notion that they're still out there. But I guess it is possible."

"Or it could be something like Tartaros." Lector suggested worriedly. "Maybe some people who have learned how to use Curses is trying to recreate what Tartaros left behind."

"That is in the realm of possibility." Minerva said pensively. "Still, we won't know until we have more information."

"All that said, Natsu," Sting addressed the Fire Dragon Slayer, "You should keep a close eye on your family for now."

Natsu jerked over to look at the flaxen-haired Dragon Slayer.

"What do you mean?" he asked apprehensively.

"Well, you do have two Celestial Wizards in your family, don't you?" Minerva pointed out. "And while I don't claim this theory to be completely accurate, based on what has happened so far, I think it's safe to assume that whoever attacked Yukino is going after Celestial Wizards."

Both Natsu and Lucy's eyes widened in fear at this news and they looked at each other with even paler faces.

The other Fairy Tail wizards reacted to this piece of information as well. Wendy and Romeo looked at each other with shock; Carla and Happy exchanged worried expressions; Erza turned to Grey and Ash, who looked just as concerned as she was; and Gajeel and Carol looked at each other with uneasiness.

Sting, Minerva, and Lector noticed their reactions. Now they were the ones suspecting that something wasn't right.

"What's wrong?" Lector asked. "Did something happen?"

"Alu ran away." Natsu explained quickly. "That's why we're all out here."

"We managed to find her yesterday, but she got away from us." Happy added, bringing a trembling paw up to his mouth. "But if what you say is true, then Alu's in grave danger."

"What's more, Alu has no knowledge of this soul-stealer." Carla stated with concern. "If she gets ambushed by them…"

"We have to find her!" Natsu forcefully interrupted, his voice loaded with anxiety. "Now!"

Erza paused for a moment before nodding.

"You're right, Natsu," she said commandingly before turning to the other wizards. "Gajeel, I'll need you to come with us."

Gajeel nodded obediently.

"Wendy," Erza continued, "you, Carla and Romeo take Carol and Ash back to Fairy Tail. Tell the others at the guild what's going on. Then all three of you join up with us as soon as you can. We could use your help."

"Sure thing." Romeo nodded.

"Wait, Erza!" Ash protested. "We wanna help. If Alu's really in danger, we have to save her."

"Ash, I know you have good intentions," Grey said, "but it's too dangerous. I can't risk you getting hurt."

"I feel the same way as Ash," Carol stepped forward. "Alu's part of our team, we can't just leave her to be attacked by some soul-stealer. After all, Ash and I are Fairy Tail wizard's, too. Please, let us help."

"Sorry, Carol," Gajeel replied, "but I can't let that happen. You don't how dangerous Curse Power is, and I'm not about to gamble your life. Besides, what would I say to your mom if I came back with the news that something bad happened to you?"

"But Dad-!"

"That's enough, Carol!" the Iron Dragon Slayer said firmly. "You two are going home and that's that!"

Both Carol and Ash tensed for a moment before lowering their heads in frustration. They knew that they weren't going to persuade the adults any further on this.

"Lucy," Natsu said, turning to his wife, "you should go with them."

"What, why?" Lucy asked, almost sounding insulted.

"If this guy is really after Celestial Wizards, you'll be safer back at the guild."

"I can't just leave Alu out there knowing that she could be attacked by some Demon at any moment!" Lucy argued fervently. "I'm coming with you!"

"You don't have to come with me, Lucy." Natsu said.

"Of course I have to come, too! I'm her mother, aren't I?! Besides, you're my husband and I'm with you, for better or worse!"

Whatever reason Natsu had to change his wife's mind instantly died in his throat. He knew at this point that he wasn't going to convince Lucy otherwise. She wasn't just going to save their daughter; she was going to protect him as well. And it was clear to see the determination in her face. That was who she was, and Natsu had to deal with it.

Finally, Natsu gave in and nodded.

"Okay, but stay close to me at all times," he ordered.

Lucy acknowledged the command. That was fair enough for her.

"Don't forget about me." Happy said. "I'm coming along, too."

"Of course, little buddy." Natsu replied. "We certainly could use your Aera magic."

"In the meantime," Sting interjected, "Lector, M'lady and I will see what we can find. We'll let you know if we find out anything. We'll also contact the other members of our guild and let them know of your situation. Alu might not be a member of Sabertooth, but Fairy Tail is our closest ally. If anyone finds Alu, you'll be the first to know. We'll also keep her out of harms way."

"Thank you, we really appreciate it." Erza replied. "Now let's get moving. We know Alu was heading eastward, so our best bet is to head in that direction as well."

"Best of luck to all of you." Lector encouraged.

With that matter settled, Sting, Minerva, and Lector left the station while the Fairy Tail wizards split up to go on their separate trains. Wendy, Carla and Romeo took Ash and Carol on one heading back to Magnolia; while Natsu, Lucy, Happy, Grey, Erza, and Gajeel boarded onto another that would take them to the next city, Clover.

Although the train ride to Clover was going to be a short one, both Natsu and Gajeel took a Troia pill to prevent their motion-sickness from happening. Given the situation, this wasn't the time to be suffering from nausea.

Well, in Natsu's case, nausea from the shaking and rumbling of the train tracks. However, even after taking that Troia pill, his stomach couldn't stop doing summersaults of anxiety. It was one thing to know that his daughter had run away, but now that Natsu knew there was a soul-stealing psychopath on the loose, and possibly from, or having connections to the Dark Guild Tartaros, he was more determined than ever to find Alu.

He didn't want her to suffer what he went through those years ago. Or worse.

If anything happened to Alu, Natsu would never forgive himself.

"Alu," he said to himself, looking out the window, "wherever you are, please, just be safe."

* * *

 _Meanwhile…_

Alu was fast asleep in the back of a traveling cart.

Alu found it hard to fall asleep last night, so she was more than little groggy when the sun came up. Realizes that they wouldn't get far on foot, she, Aquarius and Aries decided that they would catch a ride to make up for lost time. Luckily, they found a cart on the road about an hour after they had set out.

In about five or so minutes into the road trip, Alu was out like a light. She groaned in discomfort as the jostle of the cart rattled her brain and gave her a headache. The best thing she could do at the moment was to sleep it off.

As she slept, Aquarius and Aries sat side-by-side on the bench opposite of Alu.

"This brat's certainly a little dimwit, isn't she?" Aquarius said with a frown. "And I thought Lucy was a reckless idiot. But even she wasn't dumb enough to make me angry on purpose."

"Well," Aries replied uncomfortably, "Alu just doesn't take insults well. She stands up to everyone, even her closest friends."

"That kind of attitude can get her killed, you know." Aquarius mumbled.

Aries said nothing. She just glanced away.

"By the way," Aquarius said in a more normal tone, "about her Magic. Was she really born with it?"

"Mm-hmm." Aries nodded. "Although Lucy did train her in Celestial Magic, Alu did show to have a knack for it at a young age. She summoned Plue at the age of four when she was just messing around with Lucy's keys on day."

Aquarius blinked at that statement. That young, an Alu could summon a Silver Key Celestial Spirit without even making a contract with it? That was a very rare case indeed.

Aquarius couldn't help but show a hint of interest.

"When she turned five," Aries continued, looking down at her hands in her lap, "Lucy gave her my key."

"So you were her first spirit, huh?" Aquarius simply stated. "Did she summon you for stupid reasons, too?"

"I'm sorry, but I didn't think they were stupid." Aries smiled fondly as she reminisced on the past. "She summoned me when she wanted someone to talk to, or even to help her train in martial arts. I have to admit; those days were actually quite fun. And the more I trained with her, well, the more confident I got. She made feel stronger than I've ever felt in a long time."

Aquarius didn't say anything. She just stared intently.

"Unfortunately," Aries continued sadly, "it became clear that she could only summon two Spirits at time. And there are some Spirits she can't summon at all because they take up too much of her Celestial Magic. She tried summoning Leo once and she was rendered unconscious for two days."

"Tch," Aquarius snubbed, "that's pathetic."

"Better not let Alu hear you say that," Aries warned. "She's get that a lot from her enemies already. And considering that you two are at each other's throats…"

"I get it; she has anger issues." Aquarius said sharply. "I assume she got that from her block-headed flame-brain of a father."

 _"You're one to talk about anger issues, Aquarius."_ Aries thought to herself, giving a guilty expression.

The Golden Ram Spirit didn't like having nasty thoughts about her friends, but she just couldn't seem to stop this one from creeping into her mind for a second.

"So," Aquarius suddenly said, "what of her Dragon Slayer Magic? When did she discover that?"

Aries looked over at Alu for a moment.

"It was when she was eight-years-old," she replied. "She had gotten into a fight with one of her friends. I think it was Ur."

* * *

 _Six Years Ago…_

 _"Bring it on, you soggy-prune!"_

 _"Shut your trap and put up your fists, tulip-head!"_

 _On that insult, Alu pounced off the table and tackled Ur to the ground. There, the two girls rolled around on the floor, kicking and punching each other. While they were at it, they were also shouting to each other names meant to antagonize the other._

 _Meanwhile, everyone else in the Fairy Tail guild either tried to ignore the brawl that was going on, or they were watching with morbid curiosity to see who would win._

 _"I've said this once and I'll say it again," Happy said as he watched from the bar, "it's like Natsu and Gray have shrunk and swapped genders."_

 _"We've heard you the first two hundred times, Happy." Lucy replied irritably._

 _"Well, you gotta admit it's true." Happy shrugged. "Those girls go at it just as often as Natsu and Gray do. If not more often."_

 _"Except Ur has blue hair, not black." Carla pointed out._

 _"Minor details," the blue Exceed said almost bashfully. "She's basically like her dad."_

 _"Do you think we should break them up?" Juvia asked Lucy, uncertain. "I'm worried they're going to hurt each other."_

 _"If their anything like their fathers, then I think they'll be fine." Lucy replied. "After all, this isn't the first time they've gotten into a scuffle. The worst injuries they have sustained is a few bruises."_

 _"I know, but still." Juvia frowned, looking back uncomfortably at the two girls throwing punches at each other._

 _Meanwhile, beside Lucy, Natsu and Gray were watching the fight, too. To be more specific, they were betting on which of their daughters was going to win._

 _"Ur's totally got this fight in the bag." Grey said with smug confidence._

 _"No way!" Natsu rebuked firmly. "Alu's an expert combatant! She's going to kick Ur's butt so hard she won't be able to sit for a week!"_

 _"What'd you say, you pink-haired freak!" Gray shouted, grabbing the collar of Natsu's jacket._

 _"You looking for a fight, you popsicle!" Natsu shot back._

 _The next thing everyone knew, Natsu slugged Gray in the face. This made Gray retaliate and knee Natsu in the stomach. That initiated another fight. In a few seconds, Natsu and Gray were duking it with just as much ferocity as a couple of wolves fighting in a pack._

 _The guild now had TWO fights going on. Both of being a fight between a Dragneel and a Fullbuster. In just a few minutes, everyone was looking back and forth at them. Some members even snickered at the irony of it all._

 _"Should've seen this one coming." Lucy sighed heavily. She was used to this by now that she didn't really think much about it anymore._

 _However, something unexpected was about to happen._

 _In the fight with the girls, Alu managed to kick Ur off of her. But just as she got up, she fell to the floor again, bracing herself up with just her knees and right arm. Her left arm wrapped around her stomach and she grimaced in pain. Ur had previously managed to slam the heel of her boot directly into the center of Alu's abdomen just before she was forced off. Needless to say, it hurt a lot. It knocked the wind out right out of Alu._

 _She strained to hold back her whines of pain._

 _"What's the matter, pinky-princess?!" Ur taunted. "Giving up already?! Just something I would expect from a Celestial Wizard who can't summon more than two Spirits!"_

 _Alu scowled furiously up at Ur, but the little Water Wizard continued regardless of that threatening expression._

 _"Guess you're just as half-strong in strength as you are in magic!" she finished with a cocky grin._

 _That was it!_

 _Something inside of Alu seemed to spark to life. It was like a kind of power she never knew of that existed inside suddenly came awake, and took control of her body. It drove to get up and strike back._

 _It was at that moment Natsu sensed something, too. A strange and familiar power seemed to set off a warning in his mind. He was about to punch Gray again when he suddenly stopped and gave a look of utter surprise._

 _He immediately turned to look at Alu. That power seemed to be coming from her._

 _"What's up?!" Gray asked, confused when he saw Natsu's sudden halt._

 _With a cry of rage, Alu sprung from her spot and leapt high into the air. She rose her right fist into the air and shouted out instinct,_

 _"FIRE DRAGON IRON FIST!"_

 _On that command, fire suddenly burst around Alu's clenched fist._

 _"What the-?!" Ur shrieked._

 _Ur only had a second to react as that flaming attack shot down towards her. She quickly dived off to the left and rolled back onto her feet, just barely escaping Alu's assault. Alu continued downward until her fist made contact with the table Ur had just been standing in front of. The woodwork instantly shattered from the force of the attack._

 _In that moment, everything seemed to come to a halt._

 _Everyone turned and stared at the young pink-haired girl. They were all flabbergasted with what just happened. It was enough to make Natsu and Gray stop their fight and let go of each other. Ur remained crouched where she was, shivering with both fright and disbelief._

 _Alu was even more stunned then anyone else. When she regained control her senses, she slowly brought her hand up to look at it. Pale fire was blazing around her fist. And it remained alit even after she had uncurled her fingers. But this fire didn't burn her, it didn't even feel hot to her at all._

 _It was a lot like her father's fire. She didn't know how she knew that, she just did._

 _But where did it come from? Alu was never taught Fire Magic._

 _Slowly, everyone began to come out of their shocked states. Some even proceeded to whisper to each other._

 _"Did you see that?"_

 _"Was that Dragon Slayer Magic?"_

 _"Yeah, it was?"_

 _"Where did she learn that?"_

 _"Has Natsu been teaching her that on the sly?"_

 _Lucy, highly confused and disoriented, turned to look at Natsu. Just one glance at his face and she could tell that he was completely dumbfounded. But that didn't stop her from asking her question._

 _"Natsu," Lucy said precariously, "did you have anything to do with that?"_

 _"No," Natsu replied slowly, shaking his head, "at least…I don't think so."_

 _Alu continued to stare at her hand with wide eyes. The flames around it continued to burn brightly. Cautiously, she brought her left hand up and looked at it. All she had to do was think of fire surrounding that hand as well, and the image became reality. It made her gasp as she realized that both of her hands emanated fire._

 _"I'm a…Dragon Slayer?" she whispered, her voice squeaking a bit._

 _There was a small silence._

 _Then suddenly, Alu threw her hands up in the air and lifted her head, letting out an ecstatic laughter that startled the whole guild._

 _"I'M A DRAGON SLAYER!" she cried joyfully._

 _With a new burst of energy coursing through her, Alu dashed from her spot and over to her father._

 _"DADDY, DADDY!" she happily shrieked. "DID YOU SEE THAT?! I'M A DRAGON SLAYER JUST LIKE YOU!"_

 _Natsu's expression into a huge smile. As Alu reached him, he picked her up by her waist and lifted her high above his head, laughing just as much as she was. Alu stuck her arms and legs out like she was attempting to fly as her father twirled her around._

 _"Yeah, I saw it!" Natsu said elatedly. "Talk about awesome!"_

 _Natsu then pulled Alu down into his arms and the two shared a heart-felt embrace. Alu grasped onto her father's scarf as she rubbed her face against his shoulder. She didn't know why at the time, but knowing that she shared this power with her father made her feel even more close to him than before. She had always been told that she was the spitting image of Natsu for as long as she could remember. And now this only confirmed just how alike the two really were._

 _But Alu didn't care. She always looked up to her father. And now, with this newfound power, she felt like she had more of a chance to be just like him._

 _Lucy, who had now recovered and was smiling proudly, got up from her spot and ran over to hug both her husband and daughter._

 _"A Celestial Wizard and Fire Dragon Slayer!" the blond-haired women declared. "Our daughter is a Celestial Wizard and Fire Dragon Slayer!"_

 _Feeling the jubilation in the air, the whole guild erupted in supportive cheers and shouts. Some were even celebrated about how the guild now had five Dragon Slayers in it, and that Alu would make them even more unstoppable. Especially since she could use Celestial Magic, too._

 _"Talk about one of a kind!"_

 _"I've never heard of someone being a Dragon Slayer and Celestial Wizard!"_

 _"With a wizard like that in our guild, nothing can stop us now!"_

 _All those words of encouragement made Alu's heart swell with pride and she couldn't stop smiling._

 _However, not everyone was as festive about this revelation._

 _Gray hadn't come out of his state of shock. The only thing that had registered in his mind at this point was that the guild now had TWO Fire Dragon Slayers. For him, that meant only twice the destruction for the guild._

 _"Two pyromaniacs," he mumbled to himself. "Great, as if one wasn't enough. And I don't know which of them is worse: the father or the daughter."_

* * *

 _Back to the Present…_

"Hmph," Aquarius simply said, "interesting story, I guess. But did it really take her that long to find out something like that?"

"Probably," Aries said, "I'm not sure why, but Alu just happened to figure it out then. She loves her Magic because it reminds her that she is the daughter of two strong and brave wizards of Fairy Tail. And I know she loves her parents very much, even if she doesn't see eye-to-eye with them all the time."

Aquarius looked over at Alu with an ambiguous expression. Now she understood why Alu got so angry when the Water Spirit called her flames pathetic. Alu didn't see it as an insult to herself, she saw it as an insult to her father. And based on what Aquarius was told, Alu held Natsu in pretty high regard, even if she didn't admit it out loud.

"And at the time," Aries continued sadly, "when they found out she was also a Dragon Slayer, it seemed to explain why she was only half-strong in Magic. She has two kinds of Magic inside of her, but she can't seem to get them to work together. They seem to have their own separate vessels instead of being part of one big one. All I know is that this is what makes Alu so frustrated most of the time. No matter what she does, she just can't seem to get up to the level she wants."

Aquarius lowered her head pensively, "It's probably because…"

Aquarius trailed off and leaned back in her seat with a slight look of disappointment.

"Huh?" Aries blinked, expecting Aquarius to finish her sentence.

"Nothing," the Water Spirit turned away. "Forget I said anything."

Aries just made a disheartened face before letting the subject drop.

For the rest the ride, the two Zodiac Spirits didn't speak a single word to each other. They just sat in silence. All that could be heard was the rumbling of the cart on the dirt road, and the occasional moan and groan from the sick wizard across from them.


	15. Chapter 15: Searching for the Soul

**Chapter 15**

 **Searching for the Soul**

 _That night…_

Just after sunset, in the middle of a large clearing, Alu, Aries, and Aquarius set up their camp spot. After getting the fire pit assembled, Alu snapped her fingers and lit the firewood with her Dragon Slayer fire. The flames she conjured immediately began to lick around the wood and create a good-sized campfire that gave off warm waves of heat.

At the same time, Aries pulled out two vials of Astral Elixir from her hip-pouch. She walked over to Aquarius, who was sitting on a fallen tree trunk, and handed her one of the vials. After the Aquarius took the vial, the Golden Ram Spirit walked over to another fallen log and sat down. The two Spirits then removed the lids from the small vessels and drank down the glowing purple liquid.

"How many of those do you have left?" Alu asked Aries.

"One each." Aries replied. "But that should be enough to get us to the Valley of Gates. That carriage ride helped us get ahead of schedule. We should be there by tomorrow."

"Well, that's good news." Alu sighed. "The sooner we get this key repaired the better."

"Excuse me?" Aquarius said suddenly, shooting Alu a nasty look. "What's that suppose to mean?"

Alu looked over at Aquarius with a scowl of her own. The Water Spirit was about to get on her last nerve.

"I mean the soon I get the key repaired the sooner I can explain to my parents why I really left." Alu explained sourly before glancing away and mumbling to herself, "And the sooner I can get you off my back."

"I heard that!" Aquarius snapped. "If you got something nasty to say about me, then just say it to my face, 'kay?!"

"Okay, fine!" Alu said indignantly, leaping to her feet. "You wanna know what I really think of you?! Well, I think you're an arrogant and selfish jerk who just threatens people to get them to do what you want! There, I said it, to your face!"

"Uh, Alu…" Aries stuttered in a small voice. But Aquarius cut her off.

"Is that so?!" the Water Spirit shouted, springing off of her log. "Look who's calling who selfish! I bet you just want to repair my key just because you're desperate for praise! If you think repairing my key will make you popular, then you're dumber than I thought! Besides, it's your fault that we lost so much time to begin with! You didn't even have the common sense to leave a note or something before we left!"

"Oh, so it's MY fault that my overly-protective parents are after us?!" Alu shouted angrily. "Even if I did leave a note they would still come after me! They can't leave me alone for five minutes! So what you said isn't even valid!"

"All I'm saying that if you weren't just as big of a bimbo as your mother, we wouldn't have her or your brainless father on our tails!"

Alu flinched at that remark and her eyes flashed.

"What'd you say?!" she snarled viciously.

"You heard me!" Aquarius replied spitefully. "Your mother's just a blonde bimbo and a spoiled brat! Honestly, she would summon me for the most ridiculous reasons! She even summoned me using Juvia's water body once! She had no grace whatsoever! Honestly, I'm surprised that she ever managed to win any man's heart! Then again, her husband is a stupid hothead with little to no brain inside that thick skull of his! It's no wonder they ended up together! They're both a couple of freaks! It was…!"

Suddenly, the campfire burst into a pillar of intensely burning flames that lashed around violently, whipping all the way up to the sky. Aquarius looked over quickly to see what was going on.

She immediately fell silent.

Alu was scowling at her. But this scowl was different from her other ones.

Her lips were pressed together tightly, her jaw locked with gritted teeth, and the upper part of her body expanded and deflated with restrained breathing. Her fists were clenched so hard that sparks of fire were flickering around them.

However, it was Alu's eyes that were the scariest. They were blazing with undeniable anger, just like the fire beside her. They looked as if Alu wanted to vaporize Aquarius with just her stare.

Aries leaned back in her seat with her arms up protectively in front of her body. She couldn't help but shiver with fear. She had seen Alu furious before, but this was a whole different level.

Alu was beyond furious.

Aquarius saw that, too. For a moment, she stared at the young wizard with a defensive expression. It was unclear of what Alu was going to do next. Although the most predicable response would be violence. Since Aquarius had seen that this girl was a lot like her father, she was expecting the girl to suddenly charge forward and try to slug her across the face.

But Aquarius was ready for that. She was a Spirit made for battle. She could handle a fight.

However, what Alu did next shocked the two Celestial Spirits.

She spoke. She didn't shout or yell; she just spoke.

"You listen to me, Aquarius." Alu's voice was dangerously low. "You can insult me and beat me down all you want. I don't give a damn about what you say about me, or what you do to me. You can threaten to throw me into the ocean and let me drown. You can even carry out that threat and still I won't care. I'm used to insults and getting beaten to a pulp. I'll just get back up again.

"But there's one thing I won't tolerate, and it's YOU talking TRASH about my parents. Especially when you have no right to. My dad's the greatest hero I've ever known. He's risked his life to save the guild, his family, his comrades, and even strangers on countless occasions. And my mom is a strong woman who cares for everyone around her. She, too, has saved the lives of many others."

Alu then took out the hilt of Aquarius key and held it up for the Water Spirit to see.

"You wanna know why I'm going through all of this?" the girl continued. "Why I'm putting up with your stupid attitude and insults? Why I even ran away from everyone in my guild back in Onibus? It's BECAUSE of my mom. She told me all about the Tartaros incident and how she had to break your key to summon the Celestial Spirit King."

Aquarius didn't make much of a reaction, but there was certainly a curious glint in her eyes.

"That's right." Alu went on. "She also told me how heartbroken she was to lose you, even after you said you hated her. Even after all the torment you put her through over the years just because you were so "moody", she was still sad to lose you. Only someone with a big heart like her could care about someone as selfish and ungrateful as you. You may be a Celestial Spirit, and I know your kind have a reputation of being treated as tools. And for your information, I despise any Celestial Wizard who does that. But I also won't tolerate anyone using their attitude as a way to exert power over others. I don't care about your "moody" attitude, and I'm not going to back down just because you threaten me. I will stand up to you, especially if you insult my family."

Alu then narrowed her eyes before saying, "And there's something else you should know. The "spoiled brat" that you hated so much wants you back. Not because she views you as some tool like other Wizards, but because she wants her first friend back. Why don't you think about that?"

There was a long silence.

Finally, Alu exhaled deeply and lowered her gaze. She then shoved Aquarius's key hilt back into her belt pocket, turned around, and stormed away from the campsite. As she disappeared among the trees and shadows, the pillar of fire that stretched up to the sky began to shrink down rapidly. In a few seconds, it disappeared altogether, leaving behind nothing but ash, pieces of burnt wood, and smoked-stained rocks.

Aries looked on the direction Alu took with a surprised expression. That was certainly a side of Alu even she had never seen before. She had known Alu ever since the girl was little, and she had never seen her do something like that before. She was so sure that the wizard was going to try and beat the snot out of Aquarius, not speak in the manner that she did.

Aries then turned to look at Aquarius. What she saw made her confused.

Aquarius wasn't tensed with anger or humiliation like Aries was expecting. She didn't even look like she was plotting to get revenge on Alu for what she said to her.

She looked…satisfied.

"A…Aquarius?" Aries whispered softly. "Were you trying to provoke her?"

Aquarius simply lowered her head and smiled. Aries eyes widened and she inhaled sharply. For once in a long time, Aquarius actually looked genuinely happy. She wasn't even trying to hide the smile.

"Seems that he was right," Aquarius said contently. "C'mon Aries, you should've seen it a long time ago, seeing as you've been with her for a long time now."

Something began to glimmer in Aries irises.

"Are you saying that…"

* * *

After walking a good distance away from the campsite, Alu stopped at the edge of river and sat down on a large boulder. She glared down at the grass between her feet and clenched her fists. She held her breath for a moment or two before letting the air out steadily through her nose, closing her eyes as she did. The then lowered her head into her hands and braced her arms against her knees.

She kept thinking about what happened at the camp. Specifically, what she did. Or rather, what she didn't do.

Alu's first impulse to any insult was usually give an angry shout, or a cheap-shot to the face. She wanted to do that to Aquarius. She wanted to take out all of her anger on the Water Spirit. But she didn't. It was like something else took control of her and made her fight back with words. And she didn't speak in a loud voice either, but it felt so powerful nonetheless.

But the question was why.

Why did she do that?

Alu didn't know.

As Alu continued to think over what had happened, she covered her eyes with the palms of her hands. It was like she had so many thoughts swirling around in her head that they were starting to jumble her brains.

And the more she thought about things, the more vulnerable her emotions were becoming.

"What am I doing?" she mumbled to herself. "I don't even know what I'm doing anymore. As much as I hate to say it, maybe Aquarius was right. Maybe I'm just doing this for myself. Maybe I'm not really doing this for Mom."

Alu lowered her right hand and looked at it with her uncovered eye. She frowned sadly as she stared at it.

"I'm just not sure about anything," she moaned. "I don't even know who I am. How pathetic is that? I just want to know who I am, is that so much to ask?"

Alu covered her face again. "Mom, Dad, I'm sorry. I don't even know what I'm saying anymore. I'm so confused. I don't even know what I should be feeling right now."

Having nothing else to say, Alu sat in silence. She had completely forgotten about the forest around her. Everything was so quiet that she didn't pay attention to it. She was completely absorbed in her own thoughts.

However, something was about to change everything. Not just Alu's current state of mind, but her whole journey as well.

A sudden, distant cry caught Alu's attention. It was enough to snap her out of her trance. She lifted up her head and looked over in the direction it was coming from. She sat still for a moment and listened carefully.

"Help!" the voice called out. "Somebody help me!"

Someone was in danger. That alone was enough to change Alu's mind from despair to determination.

She immediately leapt off the boulder and set out running in the direction where the cries were coming from. As she drew closer, she was starting to hear other things, too. One was a noise that sounded like electricity being whipped around violently. The other was a voice that sounded vaguely familiar. It seemed to be laughing with a kind of twisted pleasure.

What in all of Earthland was going on?

Eventually, Alu came upon another clearing. Just as she was about to rush out of the forest and into the open, she stopped dead in her tracks. Her jaw dropped and her eyes widened in disbelief. For a split second, she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

In the middle of the clearing, a little purple female Exceed that was garbed in a blue dress was running across the grass as fast as her tiny legs could carry her. She screamed in terror as a lightning whip attacked her from all angles. No matter where she turned, that whip would cut her off or attempt to strike her.

However, it was who was controlling the whip that made Alu stare in horror.

"Virgo?!" she said in an exclaimed whisper. "No, it can't be!"

Indeed, Alu was definitely looking at someone who looked like the Celestial Spirit, Virgo the Maiden. And yet, this person was different somehow. She wasn't dressed in Virgo's normal maid outfit, and she didn't have a sweet, composed expression on her face.

The Virgo that Alu was looking at now had on a black and gold, body-tight outfit. Her hair was a tangled mess, and her expression was one of maniacal pleasure.

It was like her personality had been warped.

Virgo threw another whip attack at the little Exceed. This time, it struck the little cat across the back. She let out a cry of pain and fell to the ground.

"You're cries of pain are like music to my ears," the crazy Virgo sneered with indulgence. "Weak little things are always so much fun to get a scream out of. I wonder how many you have left."

The little Exceed whimpered and braced herself for another attack. However, just before Virgo's attack landed a blow, Alu ran out of the forest, snatched up the little cat creature in her arms, and darted away. The whip just barely missed the heel of her left foot. Alu clutched the little Exceed protectively as she ran a little distance away from the attack. After a few feet, she came to a stop.

"Hey, you okay?" she asked the Exceed in her arms.

The Exceed opened her eyes and looked up at Alu with big baby-blue eyes.

"Wh-Who are you?!" she asked, her voice shaking with fear.

"Don't worry, I'm a Fairy Tail Wizard." Alu replied. "I'm here to help."

"My, my," the crazy Virgo drawled, "what have we here? A Fairy Tail Wizard?"

Alu narrowed her eyes and looked back up at the deranged Virgo. The Exceed in her arms shivered and nestled in closer to her body, seeking protection.

"Listen," Alu said to the Exceed, "get out of here. I can handle this."

Alu carefully set the little cat down and walked forward. The Exceed hesitated. Alu glanced over her shoulder for a second and saw that the Exceed wasn't moving.

"Go on, get out of here!" Alu ordered.

The Exceed flinched at the command. She then turned around and made a dash for the forest.

"She's going to need help!" the Exceed said franticly. "I just hope I can find someone!"

Alu stopped about seven yards away from Virgo and stood firmly.

"Alright, Virgo, what's up?" she demanded. "What are you doing here? And why are you acting like this? You'd better start talking."

"Oh, you must be talking about my inferior double," the crazy Virgo replied snidely.

"Double?" Alu blinked in confusion. "Are you're saying you're not the real Virgo?"

"Oh, I'm real, pinky!" the Spirit scowled, raising her whip as if she was going to attack. "I am of the Neo Zodiac Spirits!"

"Neo Zodiac Spirits?" Alu questioned, suspicion was beginning to show in her eyes. "What are you talking about?"

Neo Virgo was about to continue when the trees behind her began to rustle.

"I think I can take things from here, Virgo," a dark, sinister male voice said.

Instantly, Neo Virgo disappeared in a blaze of black and purple orbs.

Alu looked up at the place where the voice came from. She became even more defensive when a person dressed in a dark blue cloak came walking out of the trees towards her. The way he carried himself clearly showed that he was overflowing with an ominous kind of confidence. Although his hood was up, Alu could just barely see part of his face. One distinguishing that she noticed immediately was that he had a long, bristly beard that was dusky black with a few strands of white mixed in.

"Okay and who are you?" Alu said cautiously.

The stranger stopped a few meters away from the little Fairy Tail Wizard. He then made a curious kind of noise, like he was thinking about something.

"Hmm, you seem somewhat familiar," he said at last. "Do I know you?"

Alu raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "Well, I certainly don't know you. I would've remembered meeting a creep like you. Who are you anyway? Some kind of Celestial Wizard?"

Alu couldn't see the stranger's eyes, but she got the eerily feeling that they were now looking at her guild mark. The only clue she had was that she saw him move his head slightly to her right.

"Fairy Tail, huh?" he questioned, sounding disgusted. "But wasn't your guild mark red?"

Alu's paused and frowned. Now she got was going on.

Of course, her resemblance to her father was coming up again. Whoever this guy was must've had a run-in with Natsu some time in the past. And now he was getting her confused with the Fire Dragon Slayer.

Somehow, that didn't surprise Alu one bit. Although she couldn't help but think that this guy was an idiot for thinking that.

Still, a small voice in the back of her mind told her not to play the "I'm Natsu's daughter" card just yet. She felt it was best to not bring up her father at all right now.

"Just answer my question," she demanded. "Are you some kind of Celestial Wizard?"

A sly grin came across the man's face, which made Alu apprehensive.

"Never mind, you're not the person I'm thinking of. Though it is quite a shame." he said with a hint of menace in his voice. "As for your question, I guess you could say I am a Celestial Wizard of sorts. And I can see by the keys on your waist that you are one, too."

Alu instinctively covered her Celestial Keys on her belt with her right hand. She stepped back defensively, keeping her left hand raised up.

"Oh, you don't need to worry," the man said, "I have no use for your worthless keys, not now that I have twelve keys of my own."

The man reached under his cloaked and pulled out a large ring with a bunch of keys attached to it. Alu's eyes widened in shock when she saw their designs. She recognized those shapes anywhere.

Those weren't ordinary Celestial Keys. They were Zodiac Keys.

But there was something wrong about them. Instead of being radiant gold, they were blood red.

"Surprised?" the man mocked, jingling the keys in a show-off manner. "I guess you should be. Even I didn't know how powerful a Celestial Wizard's soul could be. Even if this one isn't as powerful as Fairy Tail's Celestial Wizard, it's still pretty impress to say the least."

"Huh?" Alu blinked. "What do you mean 'Celestial Wizard's soul'?"

The man lowered the keys and looked at Alu with an evil smile.

"I'm sure you know Sabertooth's Celestial Wizard, Yukino," he said. "I obtained her powers when I stole her soul."

Alu gasped and froze when she heard that. The man noticed her jolt of fear and snickered.

"And thanks to another special power of mine," he went on, "I created my own Zodiac Spirits. I must say that Celestial Magic is even more powerful than I first thought."

"You're a soul-stealer?!" Alu questioned, her face turning pale. "You're some kind of Demon?!"

"Oh, no," the man said nonchalantly. "I can assure you that I'm no Demon. I'm a wizard just like you."

Alu swallowed nervously and stepped back.

"Oh, you don't need to worry about having your soul stolen. I have no more use for obtaining Celestial Wizards' souls. Still, you could prove to be useful, considering you're from Fairy Tail."

"What do you mean?" Alu asked, not sure if she wanted to know the answer.

Suddenly, before Alu could react, a black tentacle shot out from under the man's cloak and wrapped around her, pinning both her arms to her sides. She let out a terrified and painful scream as it tightened its grip around her like a snake. She lost her balance and fell to the ground, landing hard on her right side. She struggled and squirmed with desperation to get free as the stranger walked over to her. But it was no use. The tentacle had her trapped in its bindings.

When the evil wizard reached her, he knelt down to her level. He then grabbed her chin and pulled her up roughly. This forced her to look him straight in the face. Even though his hood covered most of his head, Alu could just barely make out the cold eyes that were staring straight back into hers. A cold shiver ran down her spine as she looked up into those menacing irises.

She froze like a statue. Something about this guy was not right. She could feel it.

"I know how much Fairy Tail 'loves' their members," he snarled maliciously. "They would do anything to get a member back. But their weakness will be to my advantage. I'm going to use you to get them to hand over one of their three most elite wizards."

"Three elite?!" Alu felt her panic rising. "What are you talking about?!"

"I'm talking about the Dragon Slayers, you naïve child! You're going to help me get one of them!"

Dragon Slayers?!

Those two words made Alu's blood turn to ice in her veins. Her face turned white and she began to quiver with fright. For a split second, she completely forgot about her own safety. The moment those two words left this wicked man's mouth, the image of her father flashed in her mind.

Natsu was a Dragon Slayer. And he was Alu's father.

Alu knew from the past that Natsu would do anything to ensure her safety, even if it meant risking his own life. He wouldn't hesitate to give himself up for her and she knew it. And if this crazy soul-stealing wizard wanted a Dragon Slayer…

 _"Dad!"_

Alu couldn't let that happened! She had to protect her family! She had to escape somehow!

Feeling a burst of willpower, Alu yanked her chin out of the evil wizard's grip. She then lunged forward and bit down hard on his hand. Her sharpened canine teeth dug into his hand, and he let out a yelp of agony. When he wrenched his hand out of her mouth, Alu licked her teeth and tasted something like iron. The bleeding bite-mark on the man's hand proved that she had drawn blood.

"Never!" Alu yelled defiantly. "You'll never get your hands on the Dragon Slayers! I won't let you! And I'm not going to help you either!"

The man growled viciously and scowled down at Alu.

"I'm not letting you off the hook so easily!" he spat. "But once I've collected my Dragon Slayer, then I'll end your miserable life! As for now, I'll just have to beat you into submission, you little wretch!"

Alu winced and prepared herself for an attack as the man raised his foot to kick her. She was ready for the pain that was to come.

But before the man could land a blow on her, he was suddenly knocked away by a huge stream of water that shot at him like a cannonball. The impact sent him flying clear across the field of grass. Alu stared, wondering what just happened.

"You listen here, bozo!" a familiar voice said sharply. "Nobody messes with the scruff munchkin but me!"

Alu turned her head to see who had saved her.

Right in front of her, with her silvery urn poised and ready to strike again, was Aquarius.

At the moment, Alu was actually really happy to see the Water Spirit. She couldn't help but give a small, thankful smile.


	16. Chapter 16: Figure from the Dark Past

**Chapter 16**

 **Figure from the Dark Past**

 _Back in Magnolia…_

Ash tossed and turned in his bed, but he just couldn't fall asleep. All he could do was stare into the darkness of the shadows in his room. Eventually, he just lying flat on his back and looking up at the ceiling with a reflective expression.

How could he rest when he knew that there was a deranged soul-stealing monster on the loose? Or that his best friend might run into him at any given moment?

Worry and frustration stirred around inside of him ever since Wendy and Romeo had brought him and Carol back to Magnolia. All he could think about was that Alu was somewhere out there, and was possibly in grave danger. He wanted to do something to help her. She was his teammate after all. He should be there for her. She would do the same for him if it was the other way around. Knowing Alu, if she knew that he or any of the others were in danger, she would fight tooth and nail to save them.

"I have to help her," he whispered. "I know Dad was just looking out for me, but I can't stay here and do nothing. Not when I know my friend's in danger."

At that moment, there was a tapping on the window.

Ash, surprised, turned over and looked over at his window. He nearly had a heart-attack when he saw two dark silhouettes hovering outside the other side of the pane of glass. But before he screamed, he immediately recognized their shapes. One was a human girl. The other was a small, round-eared Exceed with a little sword strapped to his back.

"Carol? Pantherlily?"

Sure enough, it was Carol and Pantherlily. But what were they doing here? And why did they look like they were prepared to go on a mission? They had backpacks, armor, weapons and everything.

Curious, Ash leapt out of bed and ran across the room. He then lifted up the window and leaned out a bit.

"What are you guys doing here?" he asked in a hushed tone.

"Getting you and Ur, of course." Carol replied in the same tone. "You wanna save Alu, don't you?"

"Well, yeah but…"

"If you want to save her then we need to move now." Pantherlily said strictly. "I know Gajeel doesn't want Carol to intervene, but he might be less harsh on her if I come with you guys."

Ash raised and eyebrow.

"I take it you're Mom doesn't know you're here," he said flatly.

"You think I'd be flying outside your window at eleven o'clock at night if she did?" Carol replied sarcastically. "I only let Lily come with me because he threatened to tell Mom if I didn't."

"I'm doing this for Levy's sake." Pantherlily explained with his usual authority. "Your Mom's not going to like it when she finds out you've run away. So I'm going with you for your own safety."

"Yeah, I know, Lily." Carol shrugged. "And I'm sure we could use your help," she then turned back to the dusky-and-aqua-haired boy. "Anyway Ash, if you're coming, then you better get dressed and get your sister. We have a long journey and we have to leave now."

Ash hesitated for a second. Finally, he narrowed his eyes in agreement and he grinned.

"Okay," he said. "I'll get Ur. Meet us down the street. We'll be there in a few minutes."

"Got it." Carol nodded sharply. "Just be careful."

* * *

 _Back in the forest…_

"Alu, are you okay?" Aries asked, working quickly to untie the tentacle wrapped around her key holder.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Alu replied as she sat up. "But how did you guys find me?"

"You can thank Violet for that." Aquarius replied.

"Violet?"

"That's me," a small voice said.

Alu looked over to see the little purple Exceed that she had rescued before come out from behind Aries. She then came up to Alu and grabbed her arm in a caring gesture.

"Oh, hey again." Alu grinned. "Thanks for getting my friends."

"It's the least I could do." Violet said humbly.

Alu stroked the little Exceed head with gratitude.

"Alu, get ready!" Aquarius suddenly ordered. "He's up again!"

The pink-haired girl snapped her head around to glare at the man who had attacked her before. He was back on his feet and looking at the group in front of him with confrontation. Alu quickly got up and took a fighting stance, her face deepening into a fierce scowl.

The man sneered, "Aquarius, huh? I thought your key had been destroyed long ago. I guess if I had known you could still be summoned, I would've made a Neo Zodiac Spirit of you, too."

"Neo Zodiac?" Aquarius raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "What are you talking about?"

"Aquarius, Aries, he's a soul-stealer!" Alu informed with informative anger. "He took Yukino's soul and is using it to make his own Celestial Spirits!"

"What?!" Aries shrieked in alarm.

"The little pipsqueak is right," the man said with malevolent pride. "Who would have thought that Celestial Magic could be so powerful. And having a whole army at my disposal that blindly follows my command is certainly a blessing. You Spirits certainly are useful tools."

Aquarius didn't say anything, but her eyes flashed in rage. Aries began to tremble at the mention of the word "tool". That word used in that kind of context was enough to bring back horrible memories to the Golden Ram.

"Tools?!" Alu snapped viciously. "That's how you view Celestial Spirits?!"

"Why not?" the man said snidely. "It's not like they die or anything. Why do you think Celestial Wizards summon them?"

"I don't think, I know!" Alu shouted, raising her voice. "I'm a Celestial Wizard, too! Celestial Wizards are supposed to care for their Spirits and treat them as equals! They're suppose to fight together as a team! Anyone who dares to call themselves a Celestial Wizard and treats Spirits like garbage is third-rate crap! And I despise any Wizard who treats their Spirits that way! And I especially hate wizards who take others' powers for their own gain!"

The man paused for a moment before giving a wicked snicker.

"Well, aren't you a feisty one," he said jeeringly. "But what you think is none of my concern. Now just be a good little girl and surrender and no one will get hurt."

"No way!" Alu shot back. "You think I'm just going to let you take the Dragon Slayers?! And if you think I'm going to just hand over myself to you then you've got another thing coming!"

At the mention of Dragon Slayers, Aquarius and Aries both reacted. Aries's eyes widened in shock and she inhaled sharply. Aquarius's expression changed to suspicious anger.

"What did you say, Alu?" the Water Spirit asked quickly.

"He's after the Dragon Slayers!" Alu repeated. "My guess is that he wants one of their souls!"

"My, my," the man said tauntingly, "nothing gets by you does it, brat? But I might as well tell you since none of you will be walking away from this alive. You're absolutely right. Once I've taken the soul of a Dragon Slayer, then the Spell will be complete, and I'll achieve ultimate power. All my plans will be complete."

"NEVER!" Alu screeched.

Suddenly, a giant stream of water shot past Alu with wicked speed. It reached the cloaked man and seemed to encase him in a giant ball of raging water. Alu snapped her head over in Aquarius's direction and saw something that surprised her immensely.

Aquarius had a look that was of both fury and protectiveness.

"How dare you!" Aquarius yelled at the dark stranger with poisonous wrath. "What kind of sick, twisted person would go so far as to learn Curse power to steal others' souls?! And to become a more powerful wizard?! You're nothing but a monster! You're not worthy of that power!"

As soon as Aquarius finished that sentence, giant whips of white papery stuff burst out of her water dome and shot straight towards her. Before anyone had the chance to jump in and help, Aquarius was struck with about five of those whips. She cried out in pain as she flew back and slammed into a tree.

"AQUARIUS!" Aries and Alu shouted in alarm.

Something in the flimsy but powerful whips caught Alu's attention. Just before they returned to their master, Alu managed to catch a glimpse of what they were made of.

The were made of a thousand little shikigami paper dolls.

"Shikigami Magic?!" she gasped in surprise.

Alu then looked back over at the cloaked man. Aquarius's sudden attack from before had managed to blow his hood off, revealing his face. Alu still didn't recognize him, but even under the moonlight, she could tell that this man was an enemy. His dark eyes were just full of evil and resentment, and even a vague insanity. But they were also filled with some kind of gruesome pleasure for others suffering.

And yet, something about this man told Alu that she knew him somehow. She had never seen him before, but she felt as if she knew him.

One thing she did know for sure was that anyone who could deflect Aquarius's attack with ease was a force to be reckoned with. This guy was obviously powerful.

"Who ARE you?!" Alu demanded nervously.

"What? No one in Fairy Tail bothered to tell you about me?" the man snarled. "I'm surprised since I almost succeeded in bringing them to their knees eighteen years ago. But that good-for-nothing son of mine turned on me and put a dent in my plans to wipe out Fairy Tail for good."

"Good-for-nothing son?" Alu whispered with uncertainty.

"Oh, come on. You must know of that Dragon-Slayer-wannabe, Laxus."

"Hold on, Laxus is your…!"

Alu didn't even have to finish that sentence. All at once it clicked in her mind and she gasped in fearing shock. Her skin turned even more white and she began to shake with fear. She stepped back as terror filled her eyes.

She DID know this man.

She knew him by reputation.

She had heard people speak of him at the guild before. What she had heard of him was nothing but horror stories. She heard about how he formed a guild called Raven Tail, whose soul purpose was to destroy Fairy Tail. How he sent one of his minions to attack Wendy and Carla just before the Grand Magic Games. And how he had another one of them torment Alu's mother in a match during the Games.

"No!" Alu shrieked. "I know you! You're Makarov's son and Laxus's father! You're Ivan Dreyer, aren't you?!"

The man lifted his head and gave a maniacal laugh that made everyone's internal organs quiver with disturbing fright.

"So you figured it out!" he thundered as he looked coldly back at Alu. "What a smart girl you are! And now it's my turn to guess who you are! You're one of the next generation of Fairy Tail!"

Alu couldn't stop shaking. She didn't like where this was going.

"And seeing as you have two Celestial Spirits that used to belong to that blond Celestial Wizard, you must be Lucy Heartfillia's daughter!" Ivan continued with wicked confidence. "And if that's true, then who's your father?!"

Alu was beginning to feel very, very sick. That was a rhetorical question if she ever heard one.

She could just see it in those empty eyes of his.

Ivan had figured it all out.

"I know why you're so protective of the Dragon Slayers!" Ivan smiled evilly, holding up his bitten hand, which was still dripping with blood. "It's because your father's one! Don't even try denying it! The pink hair, the dark eyes, even your cloths and personality! The resemblance is extremely uncanny! You're the daughter of Natsu Dragneel, the Dragon Slayer of Fire!"

Alu couldn't speak. She could hardly breathe. She was shaking so badly that her brain had ceased to work on any thought process. It was like a horrible nightmare that she couldn't wake up from was crashing in on her. All the confidence she had before was sucked out of her in less than a second.

For the first time in her life that Alu could remember, she was terrified. But she didn't know who she was terrified for.

Why was she so terrified of Ivan?

Was it because he was a soul-stealer? Or was it because he had found out that she was Natsu's daughter? Alu didn't know. She was too scared to think straight. Her mind was just in a panic scramble.

The only thing that was clear to her was that her father was in danger, and it was all because of her.

Seeing his target distracted and shaken, Ivan threw another black tentacle at her in hopes of capturing her again. By the time Alu realized what was going on, the tentacle was just four feet away from her and closing in fast.

Fortunately, Aries leapt into action just in the nick of time.

"WOOL WALL!"

In an instant, the tentacle was stopped short by a massive wall of pink, fluffy wool. It ricocheted off of the dense cloud and whipped back to Ivan, striking him across the face. He let out a yell of pain and wielded back, covering his cheek and grimacing.

As soon as she had made her wall sturdy enough, Aries turned back to her terror-stricken friend.

"Alu, snap out of it!" Aries shrieked with worry, grabbing Alu by the shoulders and shaking her roughly.

Alu blinked and gulped in a huge breath of air as reality snapped back into her face.

"A-Aries!" she stuttered, her voice weak and fragile.

"C'mon, we've got to get out of here!" Aries said desperately. "You can't let him catch you!"

"But…I can't…!"

"Just get out of here!" a strict voice ordered.

Alu turned around to see Aquarius rising up off the ground.

"Aquarius…"

"I can handle this!" Aquarius replied harshly. "He said he doesn't have a version of me in his arsenal! So I think I can take him on!"

"But he's after my dad!" Alu cried. "I can't let him…!"

"STOP ARGUING AND GET OUT OF HERE!" Aquarius roared.

Alu stiffened and fell silent. Aquarius then turned to Aries.

"Aries, get Alu and Violet somewhere safe!" she ordered. "Don't look back! Just get out of here!"

Aries replied with a nod. She then took Alu's hand and made and urge for her to come with her.

"Aries..." Alu started to protest.

"Aquarius can handle this." Aries interrpted. "Let's just go. C'mon Violet."

Although she was still hesitant, Alu gave up resisting. She let Aries pull her away from the scene as Violet summoned her Area wings and flew alongside them. Aquarius watched as the trio disappeared into the shadows of the trees. When they were out of sight, she let out a slight relieved breath of air and began to focus her attention on the battle ahead.

With Aries gone, the Wool Wall disappeared. This left Aquarius and Ivan standing off against each other. Both of them stared at each other with contempt.

And for Ivan, he showed irritation when he saw that Natsu's daughter had disappeared.

"Where did you send her?!" he bellowed at Aquarius.

"None of your business!" the Water Spirit shot back. "If I were you, I would focus on the fight!"

Aquarius then held her silver urn up and sent out another wave of water towards Ivan. He managed to block the oncoming attack with a wall of shikigami dolls. At the same time, he grabbed two keys off of his belt and held them up in the air.

"Open, Gates of the Dark Lion and Maiden! Leo and Virgo!"

The two blood-red keys shined for a moment. A second later, the Neo versions of Leo and Virgo appeared out of dark magenta Magic Circles. Aquarius backed away warily at the sight of them. Even she could tell that these Spirits were powerful. More than that, she could sense that there was something wrong about them. There was nothing in their eyes. No emotion at all.

They were like empty dolls.

"Leo!" Ivan commanded. "Take down Aquarius!"

"With pleasure, master." Neo Leo replied with a sly grin.

The next thing Aquarius knew; she was dodging an oncoming purple-fire punch from a golden-armored clad Leo. And no sooner had she avoided his attack did she have to block another punch that was aimed right at her face.

This gave Ivan his chance.

"Virgo!" he shouted. "Find and capture Natsu's daughter! Bring her to me alive!"

"As you wish, master." Neo Virgo grinned wickedly. "This should be fun."

With that, Neo Virgo dashed off into the forest.

"NO!" Aquarius yelled.

With a sheer force of determination, Aquarius used her tail to smack Neo Leo away from her. She then turned around and attempted to stop Neo Virgo. However, she was halted by a sudden wall of purple flames that shot up just inches away from her face. She stumbled back and whipped around to see Neo Leo conjuring up a storm of dark fire.

"I thought you said to focus on the fight." Neo Leo taunted. "You should take your own advice, not that you're going to make it out of this alive."

Aquarius scowled fiercely.

"You're the one who's not going to walk away from this alive!" she retorted. "My water will extinguish your darkness!"

"Then bring it on." Neo Leo smiled cruelly.

As Aquarius prepared herself for the fight, a single thought crossed her mind for a brief moment.

 _"Aries, whatever happens you have to protect Alu."_

The Celestial Spirit of Water then cleared her mind of any distraction and moved in to attack.


	17. Chapter 17: Flames of Fury

**Chapter 17**

 **Flames of Fury**

Aries guided a shaken Alu through the dark forest as quickly as she could. Violet flew beside them, just above the young wizard's head. The little Exceed constantly looked back over her shoulder with the worry that one of those Neo Spirits would ambush them at any moment. However, with the darkness of the night, and the shadows from the trees, it was almost impossible to see anything. One of those Spirits could be nearby and they could see it.

Their best chance was to keep running and hope they would find some kind of help.

For a while, Alu's senses felt as if they had been shot. She had only heard stories of Ivan from other Fairy Tail members. All she knew was that he had a deep loathing for Fairy Tail for some reason, and that he did just about anything he could to humiliate and destroy the guild during the Grand Magic Games during the year of X791. Since he hadn't made any notion to attack the guild since then, everyone just treated his stories as if he was nothing more than a bad memory.

But Alu came face-to-face with him. From what she could see, all the rumors she had heard about him were more than true. She could just feel the malice coming off of him, like it was a physical presence. It was clear to her that he had gotten stronger since the year X791.

As she reflected that confrontation, Alu's brain slowly began work more effectively once again. It soon dawned on her that she and Aries were running away, and they had left Aquarius behind to fend for herself.

What was Alu doing?! She shouldn't be running away! She should be fighting back!

"Aries, we have to go back!" Alu suddenly shrieked. "We have to help Aquarius!"

"I'm sorry, Alu!" Aries whimpered. "But you can't risk Ivan getting his hands on you! Don't worry about Aquarius! She's one of the strongest Spirits in the Zodiac!"

"But even Aquarius can't take on twelve Dark Spirits by herself!" Alu protested. "And Ivan's after my dad! We have to stop him now!"

"I have to agree with Aries on this one!" Violet said. "You won't be any help to anyone if your mind isn't sharp and focused!"

"It's sharp and focused now!" Alu shot back. "I know I froze up back there but that was because Ivan caught me off guard! But I know we can beat him! And Aries, you and I have that combo attack we can use!"

"We can't let Ivan know you're a Dragon Slayer, too!" Aries cried. "If he finds out, you're as good as dead!"

Alu jolted at that statement and came to a stop. "What do you mean?!"

Aries stopped and squeaked in fear.

"I-I didn't mean anything!" the Ram Spirit stuttered, her voice in a jumble of haste. "I-It's just that, if h-he's after Dragon Slayers, then he, I mean, h-he could take your soul!"

Alu frowned with irritation. She didn't buy that explanation for a second. Aries was a horrible liar and Alu knew it. Alu could just see it in her eyes that she was hiding something.

"You know, Aries!" Alu confronted. "Why is Ivan going after Celestial Wizards and Dragon Slayers?! And why would it matter if he knew I was both?! Please, you have to tell me!"

Aries brought her arms up in front of her body, like she was trying to form a barrier between her and Alu. She began to shiver and she avoided Alu's suspicious glare. Her voice quivered with uncertainty.

"Alu," she whimpered, "I'm really sorry, but…I'm afraid I can't tell you."

Alu groaned in annoyance.

"Never mind then," she said forcefully. "Let's just go back and help Aquarius. I hate her guts, but even I don't want her dead."

"No, Alu!" Aries squeaked. "Aquarius can handle this herself! We have to…!"

A lightning whip suddenly came out of nowhere and struck Aries. The Golden Ram Spirit screamed in both fright and pain as she was flown backwards by the impact. She landed hard on the ground and tumbled for several feet.

"ARIES!" Alu screamed.

Alu was about to run over to her Spirit friend when a pair of chains appeared around her ankles. She fell over and quickly looked back to see that evil version of Virgo towering over her. She had a pair of purple glowing cuffs in her hands that were identical to the ones around Alu's ankles. Beside her was Violet, who was struggling to get out of a large restraint that had locked itself around her torso.

The look on the Neo Virgo's face was one of sick pleasure. She was taking delight in seeing the helplessness of her victims.

Just seeing that made Alu scowl in anger.

"Why you b-!"

Alu didn't get to finish her sentence because at that moment another set of cuffs snapped around her wrists and a large one flashed around her mouth. The chains on her ankles and wrists felt like they were nailed to the ground beneath her. They forced her to lay flat on her stomach and straight as an arrow. She screamed and struggled to get out her bindings, but to no avail.

She was trapped.

"My, the look on your face is quite exquisite, little Dragneel." Neo Virgo said snidely. "So much hatred and pain, it's beautiful really. I can only imagine how much more amazing it would look when I inflict more pain."

Alu wanted so much to burn this Dark Spirit into a pile of ashes.

"But my orders were to bring you to my master alive." Neo Virgo sneered. "But I have no need for this little feline."

With a flick of her hand, Neo Virgo tossed the tied up Violet aside. Violet screamed as she flew through the air and landed in a bush. Alu cried out the Exceed's name, but her voice was muffled by the metal gag around her mouth. She struggled and fought even more to get out of her bindings, but they held onto her tight.

Neo Virgo just laughed at the sight, which angered Alu even more. She absolutely hated people who took pleasure in other's pain and suffering.

Suddenly, Neo Virgo was hit with a pink ball of wool. This knocked her away from Alu just a bit before she got stuck among its fluff.

Alu turned her head sharply to look ahead. She saw that Aries was back on her feet. She was in a fighting stance, but the look on her face was one of great distress and fear. Alu knew why, too.

Aries may be a Zodiac Spirit, but she wasn't a combat-oriented Spirit. She did know hand-to-hand combat, but she was more suited for defense and support than offense. And it was clear the Neo Virgo was the exact opposite. She wasn't an opponent that Aries could take on by herself.

However, Aries knew she had to protect her key-holder no matter what, even if that meant risking her life.

Neo Virgo only hesitated for a moment before summoning her lightning whip. She cut though Aries wool like a knife cuts through butter. She then landed on her feet and turned to face the true Zodiac Spirit.

"Well, it seems like someone is just asking for a punishment." Neo Virgo grinned viciously. "You really think you can take me on? You're just a sheepish little Spirit who can't stand up for herself. No wonder so many Celestial Wizards took advantage of you. My master's Neo Aries is easily stronger than you."

Alu wriggled and twisted with rage-induced adrenaline, her chains rattling and clanking loudly. Nobody had the right to talk to Aries like that. Especially this Virgo copycat.

However, Aries didn't back down. It was clear that she was frightened to go up against this artificial Spirit, but her loyalty to Alu was stronger than her fear.

"You might be stronger than me," Aries said, "and I know I'm not the most powerful of the Zodiacs, but I'd rather die than abandon my key-holder. I'm doing this for her sake. She's not just my key-holder, but she's also my closest friend. I'll stand and fight for her and her family."

 _"No, Aries!"_ Alu wanted to scream. _"Save yourself! I'm the one they want! Just take Violet and run!"_

But all that came out from behind that metal cuff around Alu's mouth was stifled shrieks.

Neo Virgo snickered maliciously before licking her lips with delight.

"If that's how you're going to be about it, then fine," she said. "More pain for you means more fun for me. And I wonder how it'll feel to destroy a Zodiac Spirit."

Neo Virgo then leapt forward. Aries had only a second to dodge before that lightning whip can down. It left and large gash in the ground the moment it came into contact with it. But that whip wasn't the only weapon Neo Virgo had. Just as Aries landed on stable ground, she was forced to run and dodge because Neo Virgo began to create holes all around her. Neo Virgo wasn't giving Aries any time to counterattack. She was overwhelming her with whip attacks or craters in the ground.

Aries tried to summon an attack of her own, but she couldn't get enough time to use any of her Wool Magic. She was having a hard enough time trying to not get struck by Neo Virgo's whip. And with all of these craters appearing around her, she really had to stay on her toes.

But Neo Virgo was a big cheat. She anticipated one of Aries landings and created a hole right under her left foot. This caused Aries to falter as she tried to regain her balance. But by the time she did, it was too late. Neo Virgo struck Aries across her center with the lightning whip.

"ARIES!" Violet cried.

Aries flew backwards and straight into the trunk of a tree. Before she had time to get up, cuffs and chains suddenly flashed around her neck and wrists, pinning her defenselessly to the tree.

Neo Virgo then began to strike Aries blow after blow with fast and furious whip-lashes. She laughed and jeered every time Aries let out a cry of agony.

"That's right, cry for help!" Neo Virgo shouted ecstatically. "Louder! You're pathetic! Keep crying!"

Alu, who had been watching the whole fight, felt immeasurable rage grow deep inside of her. It grew and grew to the point where she felt like she was going to explode. She couldn't stand seeing her friend being tortured like this. She wasn't going to watch this anymore. She didn't care if Neo Virgo saw her use her Dragon Slayer Magic, she had to use it. She couldn't reach her keys to summon any of her other Spirits. She had to use her Dragon Slayer Magic.

With battle cry of fury, Alu's whole body suddenly erupted in an aura of white-hot flames. The intense heat caused the metal cuffs and chains to shatter and scatter across the grass. They then melted into puddles of liquid metal.

Neo Virgo stopped torturing Aries to look around to see what was happening. To her open-mouth shock, Alu was now up on all fours and surrounded in a blaze of whitish-orange fire. The expression on the young wizard's face was one of untainted rage.

No, Alu was beyond the point of rage. Her eyes showed that clearly.

"YOU THINK OTHER'S SUFFERING IS SOMETHING TO LAUGH AT?!" Alu roared. "WELL, LET'S SEE HOW YOU LIKE IT, YOU VIRGO PHONY!"

Before Neo Virgo could raise her whip in defense, Alu shot forward with incredible speed.

"FIRE DRAGON SWORD HORN!"

Alu head-butted Neo Virgo, knocking her away from Aries. This caused Neo Virgo drop her whip and stumble back in disorientation.

"PEOPLE LIKE YOU MAKE ME SICK!" Alu shouted. "I'LL MAKE YOU PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID!"

"No!" Neo Virgo screeched. "YOU'RE a Celestial Dragon Slayer?!"

But Alu wasn't listening. She didn't even stop for a second. She was going to make this sick and twisted sadist pay for what she did to Aries.

Alu was going to have revenge. She used every single Dragon Slayer technique her father had taught her, and overwhelmed Neo Virgo with a flurry of fiery punches and kicks.

"FIRE DRAGON IRON FIST! TALON! WING ATTACK! FLAME ELBOW! CRUSHING FANG!"

Again and again, Alu showered unavoidable attacks on Neo Virgo. That Dark Spirit was now at the mercy of the Half-Celestial Wizard/Half-Dragon Slayer. And Alu wasn't letting up. She knew this wasn't the real Virgo she was fighting. It was just an empty shell.

Which meant Alu wasn't going to hold back.

Gathering up the last of her Dragon Slayer Magic, Alu summoned one of her father's greatest techniques. She herself had never used it before, but she had seen Natsu use it many times in the past.

And now, she had to use it.

"CRIMSON LOTUS: EXPLODING FLAME BLADE!"

"ALU, NO!" Aries screeched.

But Alu didn't listen. She swiped her arms around in a circular fashion. A destructive force of flames spiraled around together and hit Neo Virgo with fierce power. The Neo Spirit flew backwards before hitting the ground and skidding through the grass and dirt. By the time she came to a stop, Alu's flames dispersed and faded away from her hands.

Neo Virgo laid flat on her back in the grass, completely stunned. She wasn't getting up any time soon. Now that she was defeated, the chains and cuffs binding both Aries and Violet disappeared in an instant. While Aries sat up against the tree trembling, Violet lifted herself up and summoned her Aera wings. She then flew over to Alu and hovered beside her. By now, Alu had dropped onto one knee and was gasping for air.

"Alu, that was incredible!" Violet praised. "Are you alright?!"

"Oh, yeah." Alu wheezed. "I'm fine. Just a little low on Magic."

Alu panted heavily as beads of sweat rolled down her face. She was now feeling just how much of her Magic Power was depleted. She had used up all of her Dragon Slayer Magic in that last attack. Even though she that using all that Magic would drain her, she also knew that she had to stop Neo Virgo and protect Aries. It didn't matter if her Dragon Slayer Magic was exhausted.

Luckily for her, her Celestial Magic was still in reserve and was stopping her from keeling over completely. It was times like this where she was actually grateful to have separate vessels of Magic Power. For it was her Celestial Magic alone at the moment that was keeping her alive, let alone standing.

Once she had gotten enough air back in her lungs, Alu stood up and walked over to the fallen Neo Virgo. She stopped just a few feet away from her and glowered down at her.

"Don't ever torture any of my Spirits again!" Alu angrily warned Neo Virgo. "Because I'll give it back to you a thousand times over! You and the other phony Zodiac Spirits!"

Then, much to Alu, Aries, and Violet's surprise, Neo Virgo began to disappear. She didn't vanish instantly like her Gate was being closed. She was dissolving into purplish-black dots. Her face was blank and emotionless, like she didn't feel any pain at all.

"Quite impressive, I'll give you that." Neo Virgo said flatly. "But you know that you're now going to be on master's kill list, little Dragneel. He won't tolerate having competition."

"Competition?" Alu said with perplexity. "What are you talking about?"

"Are you that stupid? Master wants to be a Celestial Dragon Slayer."

At the sound of that, Aries jolted in worry. Alu's eyes widened and she inhaled sharply.

"Celestial Dragon Slayer?!" Alu whispered in shock. "There's a Celestial Dragon Slayer?!"

"You're so dense." Neo Virgo said, staring up at the sky. "The only way there can be a Celestial Dragon Slayer is by completing a Spell."

Aries frowned and narrowed her eyes ambiguously.

"What kind of Spell?" Alu asked.

Neo Virgo just grinned wickedly, "Once our master has your father's soul, then you'll see."

Alu flinched at that remark and scowled viciously.

"He'll never get my dad's soul!" she retorted. "My dad's super strong! He'll easily kick Ivan's ass into the next century!"

Neo Virgo just chuckled spitefully, "You don't know how strong our master is. But if you don't believe me, by all means, face him yourself if you have the nerve. Once our master's completed the spell, you and your guild won't stand a chance. Fairy Tail will fall, you can be sure of that."

Before Alu could say anything, Neo Virgo faded completely. All that was left in her place was a small, damaged and torn shikigami. Alu slowly walked over and picked up the little piece of paper. As she examined it, she remembered what Ivan had said before about combining his power with Yukino's to create the Neo Zodiac Spirits.

"I get it," she mumbled. "They're just shikigami creations. They don't even have a soul. They're just imitations."

Alu then just stood where she was. She closed her eyes as she thought back over what Neo Virgo had told her.

Ivan was after Natsu because he wanted his soul. And he wanted his soul so he could become a Celestial Dragon Slayer. That made sense as to why he went after Yukino. After all, it was only logical to assume that the Celestial Dragon Slayer would be connected to Celestial Magic, too.

But what was this spell that Neo Virgo mentioned? Alu had always been told that Magic was generally taught, particularly strong Magic. All wizards were born with the ability to use magic, but they had to learn a style of their own. That's what both of her parents did. Lucy was taught Celestial Wizard Magic by her mother, Layla; and Natsu was taught Dragon Slayer Magic by his foster father, Igneel.

Then again, Alu was an example of a special case. She was born with specific kinds of Magic. So was it possible that Ivan could attain this Celestial Dragon Slayer power through a Spell?

Whatever the case was, Alu knew one thing was clear: Ivan wanted her father's soul just to make himself more power. And he wanted more power so he could destroy Fairy Tail. Just thinking of that made Alu grit her teeth and clench her fists, crushing the little shikigami in her right hand.

"He's not going to get away with this," she said with conviction. "I'm going to stop him myself."

"Alu?" Violet said.

Alu turned around to look at her companions. The determination on her face was unmistakable.

"We have to go back and help Aquarius," she stated. "I don't care what it takes, we have to stop him."

"But Alu," Aries said hesitantly, "you're out of Dragon Slayer Magic."

"But I still got my Celestial Magic." Alu replied. "I'll be fine. Let's just go help Aquarius. That is if you're strong enough to walk, Aries."

Aries paused for a second or two before giving a confident nod. She slowly got to her feet and stood up as tall as she could.

"If this is what you want, then I'll follow you," she said. "As my key-holder, I am bound to protect you. But as my friend, I will follow you into battle."

"You can count me in, too." Violet said, raising her right paw. "I still owe you for saving my life."

Alu grinned at her two companions, "Then let's go."

With that, they small team ran back in the direction they came from. They couldn't afford to waste anymore time. All they could do was run as fast as they could and hope that they would reach Aquarius in time.


	18. Chapter 18: Deception

**Chapter 18**

 **Deception**

 _With Team Natsu…_

Completely deprived of sleep, Natsu got up from his spot beside his wife, grabbed his scarf out of habit, and walked some little ways to the edge of the woods. He then stopped and leaned up against a large oak tree. There, he lifted his face to the night sky and stared into the infinite space of stars. The moon's silvery glow seemed to bathe him in a radiant nightlight, almost like it wanted to wash away his doubts and concerns.

Unfortunately, it wasn't working.

Natsu couldn't stop thinking about Alu. Ever since Sting had warned him and the other Fairy Tail wizards about that soul-stealer, his anxiety of finding his daughter in time had risen to a very high level.

Ever since he became a father, Natsu seemed to had developed this sixth sense that subconsciously alerted him whenever Alu was in danger. And now he was feeling this sense more than ever before. It was like a dark ghost was whispering in his mind that if he didn't find Alu in time, he would never see her alive again.

He wanted to go on ahead and find Alu, but Erza ordered everyone to rest for the night.

Natsu clutched the scarf in his hands and looked down at it.

 _"Igneel,"_ he thought solemnly to himself, _"I wish you were here. I need to know what to do."_

"Natsu?"

Natsu turned his head around to see who had spoken to his name. Lucy stood behind him with an exhausted look in her chocolate brown eyes.

"Oh, Lucy." Natsu said. "Sorry, did I wake you up?"

"No, I couldn't sleep." Lucy lowered her head sadly. "Looks like you couldn't either. You're worried about Alu, too, aren't you?"

Natsu glanced down before turning away. That was enough to tell Lucy that he was more than worried about their daughter. He was trying to be strong about it, but even she could tell that his spirit was starting to waver.

He couldn't bear this alone. Nor should he have to.

Natsu was there to comfort Lucy last night, now it was her turn to do the same for him.

Lucy moved forward and hugged her husband from behind. She wrapped her arms securely around his torso and rested her head against the nape of his neck. Natsu felt her gesture and looked back at the blonde-haired woman. He couldn't help but feel a sense of déjà vu as he felt her warmth up against his back. Lucy had hugged him like this one other time. It was on the night after they had stopped the Dragons from four hundred years in the past from destroying the present.

"Don't worry." Lucy whispered. "Alu will be fine. She takes after you, remember? She has your fighting spirit."

Natsu tightened his mouth a little.

"We'll find Alu." Lucy continued. "We'll find her and bring her home."

Natsu paused for a moment, listening to those same words that he had spoken to Lucy not too long ago. Only now, they seemed to be more comforting when they were said in her voice. Natsu lowered his head, covering his eyes in the shadows of his bangs. He then gave a small smile of assurance and lifted his right hand to clasp Lucy's arm.

"Yeah," he whispered. "We'll find her."

* * *

 _Back in the forest; just a few miles ahead…_

Aquarius wield back and panted heavily. This evil version of Leo was more than she had bargained for. Although she had managed to land a few blows on him, the most she did was just shatter the weaker parts of his armor. It wasn't enough to cause him any serious injuries.

However, Neo Leo really did some real damage to her. She was covered with scratches and bruises. Her injuries would've been a lot worse if she didn't devote most of her energy to defending herself.

Although Aquarius kept a fearless expression, she couldn't deny the fact that this Dark Spirit was making her wary.

 _"Impossible!"_ Aquarius thought fearfully. _"How can he be so strong?! Where is all that power coming from?!"_

"Well," Neo Leo sneered mockingly, "I expected more from the great and might Aquarius of the Zodiac. But what should you expect from a weak woman, Spirit or not. I bet those injuries hurt a lot. But that's what you get when you dress so scantily."

"Curse you!" Aquarius snarled in a poisonous tone.

"Do it now, Neo Leo." Ivan commanded with malicious victory. "End this Spirit's existence."

"Gladly." Neo Leo grinned savagely.

Neo Leo raised his right hand towards Aquarius and summoned the Dark Regulus. He curved his fingers like they were claws as Dark Regulus began to grow larger around his hand. Aquarius braced herself for another attack. She swallowed hard, realizing that she unless she could end the fight quickly, she wasn't going to last much longer.

But just as Neo Leo was about to unleash his attack, a voice shouted from within the forest.

"OPEN! GATE OF THE SEA GOAT! CAPRICORN!"

The next thing that Aquarius, Neo Leo, and Ivan knew, there was a flash of blue light and something large charged out of the trees.

Capricorn the Sea Goat rushed forward at Neo Leo and kicked him away. Neo Leo turned his attention to Capricorn and the two began to fight hand-to-hand. While Neo Leo's punch attacks had the Dark Regulus for extra power, Capricorn was quick to dodge the Dark Spirit's attack. On top of that, he was able to land a few good blows on Neo Leo.

Aquarius stared in confusion. Just where did Capricorn come from?

"Aquarius!"

Aquarius looked over to see who called out her name and saw Alu, Aries, and Violet emerge from the shadows of the woods. The trio rushed over to the Water Spirit and immediately got down to her level when they reached her.

"You okay, Aquarius?" Alu asked.

"What the heck are you doing back here?!" Aquarius snapped at the pink-haired girl. "I told you run!"

"Yeah, well I never listen." Alu said in a matter-of-fact tone. "Besides, there's no way I can look my mom in the eye again if I knew you had died because of me."

Aquarius narrowed her eyes at Alu. The young wizard then stood up and turned away with a glare.

"Aries, Violet," she said, "make sure Aquarius is okay. I can handle this."

"Don't push yourself too hard, Alu." Aries fearfully warned. "You used a lot of magic taking down Neo Virgo."

"Don't worry about me, I've still got my Celestial Magic. But first, there's something I need to know."

"Alu, be careful." Violet whimpered.

Alu paused for only a moment before suddenly dashing towards the fight between Capricorn and Neo Leo. Hearing his key-holder approaching, Capricorn leapt aside just as Alu reached them. Before Neo Leo knew what was happening, Alu had leapt up and roundhouse kicked him in the face. She followed it up with another kick to his chest. This caused the gold-clad armor Spirit to stumble back a bit. He looked back up with a vicious scowl at Alu as she landed back onto her feet.

"Nicely done, Lady Alu." Capricorn commented.

"Thanks, Capricorn." Alu replied. "But it's not over yet."

"You pest!" Neo Leo growled, glaring at Alu. "You're just a pathetic girl!"

"Never underestimate us females!" Alu snarled. "We're strong in our own ways and don't you forget it! 'Cause if you do, I'll hit you where it hurts!"

"You little whelp! How dare you talk to me like that!"

Alu looked past the Dark Lion Spirit and at Ivan. She narrowed her eyes even more when she saw that he was watching all of this with a sinisterly amused expression. Alu had seen enough villains in her life to know that that kind of expression meant that he saw this whole fight as nothing but a game. A feeling of disgust towards that dark man rose up inside her and made her bare her teeth.

"Ivan, I've got some questions for you!" she said forcefully.

"Don't you dare speak to my master, you useless girl!" Neo Leo raged.

Ivan stepped forward.

"It's alright, Neo Leo," he said coolly. "You may stand down now."

Ivan then took out one of those blood-red keys. With a swipe of his arm, he closed Neo Leo's gate, making the Dark Lion Spirit disappear.

"Capricorn," Alu said, "I need you to go back."

"Are you sure, Lady Alu?" Capricorn asked.

"Yeah, don't worry. I'll be fine. I've got this under control."

"Very well then, my lady." Capricorn bowed respectfully.

With that, the Sea Goat Spirit vanished in a small flash of light. Alu let out a deep exhale and forced herself to stand up tall. She rarely summoned Capricorn. The reason was because he was one of the Spirits that took up a large amount of her Celestial Magic just to summon, let alone keep his gate open. She could already feel a big chunk of her Celestial Magic depleted already. She would probably be able to summon one more Zodiac Spirit after that.

But she couldn't let Ivan see that. The best chance she had was to get Ivan talking, and keep him talking until she got enough Magic Power back. She knew it would take some time getting her Dragon Slayer Magic back, but this was her only chance.

Plus, she did have some questions to ask.

"So," Ivan sneered, "you decided to come back. You here to surrender like a good little girl?"

"Pfft, not in a million years." Alu replied contemptuously. "But there's no way I'm running away either."

"Well, aren't you brave." Ivan grinned. "Or you're just plain stupid. But I must ask, how did you get past my Neo Virgo?"

Alu scowled and held up the chard skikigami doll. That was enough to make Ivan give a subtle expression of surprise for a moment.

"I didn't get past her, I defeated her." Alu said, crumbling the paper doll with one hand. "So you stole Yukino's soul and combined her Celestial Magic with your Skikigami magic to create a set of phony Spirits. Am I right?"

"Precisely." Ivan said, smirking evilly. "You certainly are clever; I'll give you that much. Must've gotten it from your mother. 'Cause I know your father wasn't all that smart."

Alu scowled harder a gave a deep growl. That was a mocking statement and she knew it.

"Tell me something," Alu demanded, "are you doing all this just so you can become a Celestial Dragon Slayer?"

When Aquarius heard Alu's question, she jolted in shock. However, since Ivan's attention was on Alu, and Alu had her back to the Water Spirit, neither one of them saw her reaction. The only ones who managed to notice were Aries and Violet. They both turned to Aquarius and saw that she had a rare expression of concern on her face.

"I don't see why I should have to tell you that." Ivan glared at Alu. "But if you want to know, the answer is yes."

Alu glared back.

"Why?" she asked. "Why do you seek that power?"

"I thought it was obvious." Ivan replied wickedly. "To take down Fairy Tail once and for all."

"Oh, really." Alu said sarcastically. "Didn't you try that years ago at the Grand Magic Games? As I was told, Fairy Tail kicked your butt so hard that you didn't show your face for eighteen years."

Ivan's scowl deepened at that remark. Alu couldn't help but smirk when she saw that she had struck a nerve.

"You think I was being a coward?!" Ivan shouted. "I lived in the shadows all of these years so I could prepare a more effective plan to take down your guild! And since I couldn't get my hands on the Lumen Historie, I had to find another power source!"

"And you decided to learn how to steal souls just so you could become more powerful?" Alu glared. "How did you learn Curse Power, anyway? My mom and dad told me that only Demons could use that Power. And while you may act like one, even I can tell you're not a demon."

Ivan paused for a moment. His face changed to very pensive. Alu could only guess what was going on inside his , it made her apprehensive. It was clear that he was planning something. After all, she just asked him a simple question. It shouldn't take him this much time just to think of an answer.

Then, a devious smile began to grow across Ivan's face. Alu immediately noticed it a braced herself for whatever was going to come out of his mouth.

"I have your father to thank for that." Ivan said manipulatively.

"What?!" Alu jolted, her eyes flashing with surprise.

"Didn't your parents ever disclose anything to you about Tartaros?" Ivan asked maliciously. "It was the Dark Guild that nearly wiped out Magnolia. And it was all for the sole purpose of awakening their true master, END. Or should I say "Etherious Natsu Dragneel". Your father. It was your father who invented Curses. All I did was incorporate one of them to help achieve my plans. So in a way, he was one who made it possible for me to take Yukino's soul."

By this time, Alu had lowered her head, covering her eyes with her bangs and shadows. She clenched her fists so hard that they began to shake by the force of her grip.

Ivan smiled with malicious victory. He decided to take this opportunity to mock the teenaged girl.

"What's the matter; can't handle the truth? Oh so sorry, did your parents keep the truth from you? Must be really hard to find out about it this way. To think that they would lie to their own daughter…"

Alu's body suddenly lit up with an aura of whitish-orange flames. Ivan jolted in shock and stepped back. Aries, Aquarius, and Violet all watched with worried and concerned expressions as Alu lifted her head. The young wizard scowled savagely at Ivan, her eyes full of untainted anger.

"Shut your mouth!" Alu shouted. "My parents told me about END a long time ago! They may annoy to pieces, but they've never lied to me! And the fact that you've used a power that is part of my dad's dark past just to complete some stupid Spell is unforgivable!"

"That fire!" Ivan gasped. "You're a Dragon Slayer?! I thought you were a Celestial Wizard!"

"I don't care what your goal is, pal!" Alu raged. "You're an enemy of Fairy Tail and that gives me more than enough reason to fight you! And I'm not going to let you take my dad's soul! I'll stop you with the power he gave me!"

Alu then charged forward with incredible speed.

"ALU, NO!" Aries cried in distress.

But Alu didn't listen. She was solely focused on the man in front of her. She was determined to take him down.

"FIRE DRAGON WING ATT-AUGH!"

Alu was suddenly hit with a powerful blow to the stomach. She howled in agony as she flew backwards and landed hard on the ground. The impact was so great that she bounced off of the earth and twirled in the air for a moment before landing again. She gasped and grimaced in pain as she struggled to get up.

"Alu!" Violet yelled as she prepared to fly over to her friend.

"No guys, stay back!" Alu commanded through gritted teeth.

Alu turned her head around to see what had struck her. To her wide-eye surprise, she saw that a Neo version of Taurus stood protectively in front of Ivan. This version of Taurus was vastly different than the one Alu knew. He was dressed in a fancy tuxedo with a metal mask over his face and a book in his hand.

"He's got one of Taurus?!" Alu strained to sit up.

"You shall not harm our master." Neo Taurus said with dignity.

Alu clutched the spot on her stomach where Neo Taurus had kicked her. It had sent such huge shockwave through her body that all of her limbs had gone numb. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't seem to get to her feet. She could barely lift herself up.

"Ugh, not cool," she grimaced. "This is not good."

"Nicely done, Neo Taurus." Ivan sneered. "Now take this girl down. But keep her alive."

"As you wish, sir." Neo Taurus replied.

Alu tensed as the dark version of Taurus leapt high into the sky. When he reached the height of his jump, he lowered his fist to her direction and shot down. Alu braced herself to the blow that would surely knock her out.

"ALU!" Aries cried as she got up from her spot and ran over to her friend.

But Aries knew she wasn't going to make it in time. Neo Taurus was closing in too fast.

However, just before Neo Taurus landed that devastating blow to Alu's head, something slithered out of the shadows and snatched the girl up in its grip. Alu yelped she was quickly yanked away from her spot by a shadow. Neo Taurus missed Alu by just a few inches, and his punch left a deep hole in the earth.

Aries stopped dead in her tracks and stared in wonder when she saw what was happening. Aquarius and Violet both gasped when they saw the shadow beneath Alu begin to change form.

Alu felt two hands grab her securely around her shoulders and under her knees. She was then lifted up off the ground as the shadow began to take on a three-dimensional shape. She blinked in confusion for a moment when she felt warmth up against the left side of her body. She snapped her head around to see what was there.

To her surprise and utter relief, she saw that it was Rogue, the Shadow Dragon Slayer.

"That was a close one," he said as he looked down at her. "Are you okay?"

"Rogue!" Alu exclaimed gleefully.


	19. Chapter 19: White Fire

**Chapter 19**

 **White Fire**

Aries stared at the Shadow Dragon Slayer for a moment before letting out a hopeful exhale. She smiled gratefully as Rogue carefully set Alu back down on her feet. Alu staggered for a moment, wrapping her arm around her middle as a shot of pain rushed through it.

"Hey, take it easy." Rogue said as he helped support the girl. "You okay?"

"Oh yeah, I'm fine." Alu winced, bracing herself against Rogue's shoulder. "Just getting my second wind. But man, am I glad to see you."

From where he was, Ivan looked at the newcomer with clear surprise and befuddlement. He didn't expect to see a Sabertooth wizard to come to the rescue of a Fairy Tail wizard. The last time he saw those two guilds, they were rivals. But these two treated each other like they were from the same guild.

This was certainly an interesting turn of events. Ivan grinned maliciously.

"Rogue of Sabertooth," Ivan sneered. "I had a feeling you would show up eventually. I just didn't expect it to so soon."

Both Rogue and Alu looked up at Ivan as he spoke. Rogue stared at him with ominous suspicion. Alu, on the other hand, glared back at the deranged man with vengeance in her eyes.

"Ivan." Rogue said sternly. "I thought it was you. I never forget a scent, even after eighteen years."

"Tell me, why would you save that girl?" Ivan asked. "You do know she's a Fairy Tail wizard, right?"

"Of course I do, that's why I helped her." Rogue replied with unwavering loyalty. "Fairy Tail has been Sabertooth's ally for years now. But I guess you wouldn't know about that, would you? Why are you here anyway?"

At that moment, Alu flinched in shock. She suddenly remembered that Ivan was now after the souls of Dragon Slayers. She looked back up at Rogue with worry. What if Ivan wanted to get his soul? She couldn't let that happen. She had to warn him.

"Rogue, be careful!" she said quickly. "He's a soul-stealer now! He's after a Dragon Slayer soul!"

Rogue looked down at Alu, his visible eye wide with shock.

"Oh, don't worry, little girl." Ivan said mockingly. "Although this Dragon Slayer would be an easy-picking, I can't use a tainted Dragon Slayer soul for the Spell."

"Tainted?" Alu questioned.

Alu then blinked. She realized that Ivan must be talking about the Dragon Slayer lacrima implanted in Rogue. That would explain why he said he was after only three Dragon Slayers of Fairy Tail. He was omitting Laxus, even though he was a Dragon Slayer, too. But he was the only Dragon Slayer in the guild who got his powers from a Dragon Slayer lacrima inside him.

"So you're after First Generation Dragon Slayers." Rogue said, narrowing his eyes. "Why?"

"He wants to become a Celestial Dragon Slayer." Alu answered. "And just look, he's already got the soul of a Celestial Wizard. That's how he was able to create his own Zodiac Spirits."

Alu jabbed a finger at Neo Taurus. The Dark Spirit noticed her action and gave an offended gasp.

"Don't know it's ruuuude to point at someone, little girl," he said, dignified. "You seriously need to learn some manners, young lady."

Alu raised an eyebrow as Neo Taurus spoke. Strangely, she didn't feel intimidated by him anymore.

"You know," she said flatly, "honestly, I wouldn't mind this version of Taurus if he wasn't trying to kill me."

Both Aries and Aquarius blinked at Alu's statement. While Aries frowned uncomfortably, Aquarius gave a small snicker.

"Well," Aries mumbled, "at least Alu's honest. Although I'm not sure how Taurus would think of that."

"Well, the scruff munchkin has a valid point." Aquarius admitted. "Our Taurus's behavior is getting very old, not to mention creepy."

Meanwhile, Rogue looked back and forth between Neo Taurus and Ivan for a moment. His face was slowly turning from confused suspicion to stunned realization. What confirmed it for him was when he caught a glimpse of the crimson keys around Ivan's belt. He then remembered about what Alu said seconds ago about this guy being a soul-stealer.

In a heartbeat, it all clicked into place.

Rogue's expression changed to a very rare scowl that was full of viciousness.

"It was you!" he growled. "You stole Yukino's soul!"

Ivan smiled wickedly and chuckled with sly amusement.

"Yes, it was me," he said cruelly. "I would've preferred that Celestial bimbo from Fairy Tail, but that other wizard from your guild was a suitable replacement."

"My mom's not a bimbo!" Alu shot back, raising a fist in a challenging manner. "And what you did to Yukino was horrible! How can you just do that to someone without remorse?!"

"Why should I care what happens to people as long as I can move forward with my plans?" Ivan shrugged carelessly. "Only fools would allow themselves to become emotionally attached to others."

Alu was about to speak again when Rogue suddenly tightened his grip on her shoulders. She turned to look at him and saw that he was very tense. He let out a deep growl from his throat before letting go of Alu and walking forward. Alu, Aries, Aquarius, and Violet all watched with uncertainty as he began to march towards Ivan. His fists were clenched, and the bangs of his hair covering his right eye gave him a really foreboding impression.

Rogue then came to a stop just a few yards away from Ivan. It was unclear of what he was going to do next. Rogue was always a calm and collect person, and he thought before he decided to attack. However, Alu knew full well that he was angered by what happened to Yukino, so she wasn't sure how he was going to respond to Ivan's crime.

"Maybe we are fools." Rogue said in a low voice. "But if being a fool means caring for other people more than yourself, then I'd rather be a fool instead of a heartless monster bent on power."

Ivan raised an eyebrow, looking almost like he was slightly amused.

"I know just where the path for power leads." Rogue continued. "I know that better than anyone because I caught a glimpse of my own future where I went down that path. It leads to nothing but a pit of utter darkness that destroys your future."

"All this coming from the Shadow Dragon Slayer?" Ivan taunted. "I thought you were all about darkness."

"I control shadows, not darkness." Rogue declared. "And I learned that there is a difference. If anything, you're the one who's all about darkness."

"What?" Ivan snarled.

"I can see it in your eyes." Rogue said, scowling. "You're so far gone because of your quest for power. And for what? Just to take down Fairy Tail? How pitiful."

Ivan gritted his teeth with infuriation.

Rogue closed his eyes and said, "I don't know why you have a grudge against Fairy Tail, and frankly it's none of my business."

Alu drew in a sharp breath of air when she saw a shadowy aura begin to appear around Rogue. She had seen him do that many times at the Grand Magic Games. He was going to go into Dragon Force. And when he did that, Ivan wouldn't stand a chance against the Third Generation Dragon Slayer.

Sure enough, Rogue's power erupted in a mighty display of rage. His hair stood up and whipped around with the shadows swirling him. When he snapped his eyes open, his crimson irises were blazing righteous anger.

"But the fact you attacked Yukino has made you an enemy of Sabertooth!" he shouted. "And worst of all, you made yourself MY enemy! No matter what it takes, I'll get Yukino's soul back!"

Rogue suddenly lunged forward, shape-shifting into a shadow as he did. He reached Ivan and turned back into his physical form. He then raised his fist and prepared to strike down the wicked man with a Shadow Dragon Slash.

However, Ivan was still holding Neo Taurus's Key. Just as Rogue was about to strike, Neo Taurus vanished from the place he was standing and suddenly appeared between Rogue and Ivan. Alu stared in horror as Rogue's attack struck down Neo Taurus. The Dark Golden Bull Spirit let out a short holler of pain before disappearing in a burst of black and purple orbs. All that was left in his place was a damaged shikigami.

Rogue noticed this as well and leapt back. His face was painted with stunned confusion.

"Don't look so surprised." Ivan smirked evilly. "Celestial Spirits make great shields for wizards. And since mine were created by me, I can just make them all over again, no matter how many times you take them down."

"Curse you!" Rogue snarled.

"Oh, and one more thing, Rogue," Ivan sneered, "if you hurt me, you also hurt your girlfriend. As long as I have her soul, her life is completely in my hands."

Rogue winced, scowling so hard that he showed his teeth.

Alu growled viciously and began to tremble with fury. If there was one thing that ticked her off more than someone threatening her family, it was Celestial Wizards calling their Spirits "shields". She didn't care if these Spirits were fake or not. Alu might have destroyed Neo Virgo, but that was because she was trying to protect Aries and Violet. What she did was purely out of defense for someone else.

But Ivan, he was just protecting himself and he didn't care who got hurt. On top that, he was tormenting Rogue by using Yukino's soul as a shield, too.

That was it!

Ivan had crossed so many lines now that Alu didn't care how low her Magic was. She was going to take him down.

In response to her convictions, Alu's Magic erupted once again into a blazing aura of pale orange flames.

"You freak!" Alu shouted. "You're nothing but a coward!"

Ivan snapped his gaze over to Alu when she said that. Rogue turned back to look at the girl and was shocked to see her in this state of rage.

Ivan scowled viciously at Alu.

"You dare call me a coward, you insolent brat!" he bellowed.

"Aries!" Alu yelled. "Combo attack!"

"Uh, okay!" Aries nodded and immediately prepared to attack.

The Golden Ram Spirit then darted from her spot as quick as lightening.

"Rogue, get out of the way!" Alu shouted.

Rogue hesitated for a moment. However, when Aries came within about three feet of him, he immediately transformed back into a shadow and whipped away quickly before transforming back into his human form. Ivan saw Aries coming and immediately leapt back, grapping two keys off his belt.

"Open, Gates of the Dark Lion and Snake Charmer!" he commanded. "Leo and Ophiuchus!"

Immediately, Neo Leo appeared along with a humanized version of Ophiuchus. This version of the Snake Spirit resembled a woman dressed in a nurse's outfit. On her left arm was a strange, spiked glove that was black. Her hair was spiky, hideous green, and her eyes were deep blue. In her right hand was a large syringe with a very sharp needle.

"He's got one of Ophiuchus?!" Rogue exclaimed.

"Neo Leo and Ophiuchus!" Ivan commanded. "Take down these fools at once!"

"As you wish, master." Neo Leo sneered.

"This'll be fun." Neo Ophiuchus chuckled wickedly. "I've always wanted to dissect a Celestial Spirit."

Suddenly, Neo Ophiuchus made a lunge towards Aries. The Golden Ram Spirit shrieked when the Snake Spirit charged straight at her. But just as Neo Ophiuchus was about to impale Aries with her syringe, Rogue leapt into action once again.

"SHADOW DRAGON ROAR!"

Rogue's Dragon Roar shot between Aries and Neo Ophiuchus, causing the two of them to leap away from each other. Neo Ophiuchus landed on her feet and glared at the Shadow Dragon Slayer. Aries recovered her balance and exhaled gratefully.

"Nice one, Rogue!" Alu said. "Aries and I can handle Ophiuchus! You go after Leo!"

"Got it!" Rogue nodded.

"Ready, Aries?!" Alu turned to her Spirit friend.

"I'm ready when you are!" Aries replied.

"Then let's go!"

With the commands given, Alu, Aries, and Rogue charged head-first into the fight. In response, both Neo Leo and Neo Ophiuchus raced towards the three fighters.

Neo Leo aimed right at Rogue and attempted to punch him in the face.

"PITCH BLACK PUNISHMENT!" he shouted.

But Rogue was ready.

"SHADOW DRAGON WAXWING FLASH!" Rogue yelled.

Once again, Rogue transformed into a shadow that wrapped around Neo Leo's fist.

"What the-!" Neo Leo jolted.

Rogue's shadow then snaked around Neo Leo's arm. Then, without warning, Rogue reappeared in a half-human/half-shadow stated and summoned the power of shadows to his hands. He struck Neo Leo's arm with great force, making Neo Leo holler out in agony. The Dark Spirit then tried to strike back, but his attack just when right through Rogue like he was nothing more than thin air. Rogue followed up the attack with a solid punch to Neo Leo's face before roundhouse kicking him in the center of his torso.

Meanwhile, Alu and Aries raced towards Neo Ophiuchus. With a savage grin, Neo Ophiuchus twirled her syringe weapon with ease and it transformed into clipboard. Before Alu could guess what she was going to do next, Neo Ophiuchus swiped her hands rapidly over the board, sending razor sharp pieces of papers towards her and Aries. The two just barely managed to dodge them by ducking, jumping and cartwheeling out of the way.

Even Violet and Aquarius had to duck to avoid the papers as they flew around in all directions.

"Very impressive, little Dragneel." Neo Ophiuchus said coolly, summoning her syringe back. "Not only do you have brains, but you're flexible as well. Can't wait to see what your muscles look like when I slice them out of you."

Neo Ophiuchus then lunged towards Alu with wicked speed.

"Holy crap!" Alu gasped as the tip of the syringe headed straight for her stomach.

Alu managed to evade the attack so that it missed her body, but it didn't miss her completely. Neo Ophiuchus's needle pierced through the left corner of Alu's vest with enough force to tear a piece off. But Alu didn't have time to think about that. She quickly whipped around and kicked Neo Ophiuchus in the stomach, sending her stumbling back and grimacing in pain.

Seeing the opening in Neo Ophiuchus's attack, Alu turned back to Aries.

"Aries, let's try that combo attack!"

"You sure about this?!" Aries asked. "We've never used in in an actual fight before!"

"But we have to use in now!" Alu replied forcefully. "It's our only chance! Now you ready?!"

Aries finally gave a determined face and nodded in response. Alu grinned confidently and leapt back. Aries held her ground and summoned a bunch of pink wool in her hands.

"GO, WOOL BOMB!" she shouted.

Out of Aries hands shot a massive bundle of pink, fluffy wool that wrapped around Neo Ophiuchus.

Ivan, who was watching this fight from a safe distance, began to laugh mockingly.

"You honestly think that attack will work on a powerful Zodiac Spirit?" he said. "I thought you were smarter than that. What are you going to do: send Ophiuchus to sleep?"

Alu smiled mischievously. Ivan in for a surprise.

As soon as Aries had created enough wool, she leapt backwards and Alu dashed forward. She then took a deep breath of air, aimed straight at Aries Wool Bomb, and shouted,

"FIRE DRAGON ROAR!"

Fire shot from Alu's mouth and headed straight for Aries wool. When her flames made contact with the wool, it spread around it faster than it took to blink and eye. Then suddenly, the whole thing blew up in one giant explosion of fire and wool that expanded across the center of the clearing, like a small atomic bomb had just gone off.

This spectacle of that was enough to make even Rogue and Neo Leo stop their fight and stare in amazement for a brief moment. Ivan stared in utter disbelief at the display of power.

Aquarius blinked in astonishment when she saw what Alu and Aries did.

 _"I didn't know Aries wool was combustible!"_ she thought to herself. _"How did this little dimwit figure that out?!"_

Aquarius then gave a small, impressed grin. _"Still, that was pretty neat."_

In a few moments, the fire and wool disappeared to reveal a burned Neo Ophiuchus. She was on her hands and knees and was panting for air, but she was still in one piece.

That made Alu stepped back in worry. She was expecting that attack to completely obliterate the Dark Spirit. So why didn't it work?

Alu soon got her answer when she felt a huge blow to her Magic Power. She inhaled sharply and fell to her hands and knees. Sweat began to drip from her forehead and her limbs felt weak and shaky.

She recognized this feeling. It happened to her before. She had used too much of her Dragon Slayer Magic before she had enough to pull off another attack. And that attack overexerted her reserve of that Magic so much that the energy that was meant for her Celestial Magic had to alter into Dragon Slayer Magic.

This left her extremely exhausted.

"Not now!" she grimaced. "Please not now!"

"Alu!" Aries cried as she ran over to her friend.

Rogue was about to rush over and help the fallen girl, but Neo Leo cut him off. Rogue soon had to deal with fighting off the Dark Lion Spirit.

Meanwhile, Aries immediately got to Alu's side and knelt down level. She did her best to support her key-holder, but she didn't quite know what to do in this situation. There was danger all around and Alu was almost on the verge of passing out.

The problem only got worse as Neo Ophiuchus rose to her feet and turned menacingly to Alu and Aries. She had a clear look of both amusement and vengeance in her eyes. And she locked them straight onto Alu. Alu looked up and stared at her with concern.

"Nice try, little Dragneel," Neo Ophiuchus snarled. "But you really should know better than to use up too much Magic. Especially since you are a half-wizard."

Alu gasped in horror when Neo Ophiuchus said that.

"Oh well," the Dark Snake Charmer grinned slyly, "seeing as you barely have the strength to stand, I guess I should put you out of your misery." Neo Ophiuchus turned back to Ivan. "That is if you allow me to, master."

"I still need her alive, Ophiuchus." Ivan replied almost carelessly. "Just knock her out for now. You can have your fun with her after we've gotten her father."

"As you wish." Neo Ophiuchus said.

The Dark Snake Charmer turned her attention back to Alu and Aries and propped her syringe up like a gun. She pressed the back of it and a dark, purple liquid shot out of the needle tip. Aries, frightened and shaken, clutched at Alu tightly, like she wanted to use her body as a shield to protect her friend. Alu watched with wide eyes as that purple stuff got closer ever half-second.

In this horrible moment, Alu was expecting her father to come charging out of the forest at any moment and rescue her. That's what always happened in the past. Natsu was always there to bail her out of trouble. No matter how many times she had run away, he had always come after her. He was always there for her when she needed him. He just had to come. Alu could almost see him coming out of the shadows of the trees now.

But he didn't come. He wasn't anywhere near.

 _"Dad,"_ Alu's mind whimpered, _"where are you? I need you."_

However, just as Neo Ophiuchus attack was about to hit Alu and Aries, a dome of water suddenly erupted around them. The purple liquid made contact with the water and then dispersed into tiny droplets that splatter on the ground.

"What?!" Ivan exclaimed in surprise.

Inside the dome, Alu and Aries stared with surprise as the brilliantly blue water swirled protectively around them. Then, Alu felt two delicate hands place themselves on each side of her head, and she inhaled deeply in shock. Aries looked behind her to see who had done this, and she gasped in relieved shock.

It was Aquarius.

"You really are a dimwit." Aquarius said to Alu. "But if you're so bent of fighting this guy, then I guess I can lend you a hand."

"Aquarius, what are you going to do?" Alu asked nervously.

"Just relax," Aquarius ordered, "this might feel weird, and might hurt a little."

"What?!" Alu shrieked. "What do you mean by that?!"

Aquarius closed her eyes and concentrated. Alu couldn't see what was going on since the Water Spirit was behind her, but Aries could. Something underneath the right side of Aquarius's skirt began to glow a pure white light. The light then traveled up Aquarius's body and through her arms. They moment they reached her hands, Alu's eyes snapped wide open. She screamed in startled pain as the white power entered her body and slithered down her neck and into the center of her chest. It was like a stream of hot water had just entered her bloodstream and began to rush through the rest of her body. The moment it had reached her heart, it spread out across the rest of her until she began to glow like a star.

At the same time, Alu felt her strength returning. The emptiness of her Magic Power had suddenly vanished. What's more, it felt stronger than before.

Aquarius then removed her hands.

"Do that combo attack again," she ordered to both Alu and Aries, "and this time, make it count."

Aquarius then dispersed the Water Shield to reveal both Alu and Aries. With her strength returned, Alu got to her feet and looked up with a determined scowl.

"Let's try this one more time, Aries!" she said boldly. "This time, we're going to wipe those Dark Spirits out!"

"Okay!" Aries replied as she stood up.

"Rogue!" Alu called out to the Shadow Dragon Slayer. "You might want to get out of the way!"

Rogue managed to hear Alu and acknowledged her command. He timed his movements as Aries charged forward and unleashed two more Wool Bombs. One encircled around Neo Ophiuchus while the other trapped Neo Leo. Rogue then turned back into a shadow and whipped away as Alu prepared to do another Fire Dragon Roar.

Alu slammed the palms of her hands together and fire emerged around her. However, her fire was different than before. It wasn't pale orange like before.

It was pure white.

But Alu didn't stop to consider this. She took in a deep breath of air and roared,

"FIRE DRAGON ROAR!"

Brilliant white fire shot from Alu's mouth and hit the two Wool Bombs. This time, the explosions were larger than the one Alu and Aries had previously conjured. They first merged together and then expanded across the entire clearing. The light it gave off was so bright that everyone had to shield their eyes. It seemed to reach up to the sky and shine as spectacularly as the moon itself.

At the same time, the anguishing cries of Neo Leo and Neo Ophiuchus could be heard. They immediately faded away as the Dark Spirits were destroyed by the blast, leaving behind only chard shikigami dolls.

However, what Alu, Aries, Aquarius, and Rogue didn't see was that before Neo Ophiuchus disappeared, she threw her syringe out of the explosion over to Ivan. Ivan looked at the oversized medical instrument for a moment before he spotted something. Thinking quickly, he hunched down for a moment and snatched something off of the needle.

Then he vanished into the shadow of the trees.

By the time the explosion had disappeared, the others could see that Ivan had fled.

"Ivan got away." Violet said as she flew over to the others. "I searched the area and he's not here."

"And his scent's gone, too." Rogue clenched. "Darn it! And he still has Yukino's soul!"

"He really is a coward." Alu scowled. "I should've guessed he would run away like this. But he won't get away next time."

"Alu!" Violet suddenly exclaimed. "What happened to your fire?! It turned WHITE!"

Alu looked down at her fists, which were still alit with flames. She gasped in shock when she saw that Violet was right. Her fire WAS white. It was as white as a star. And for some reason that Alu couldn't quite explain, it felt much hotter than before. The heat didn't affect her in anyway, but she just knew that it was hotter than before.

But how did this happen?

"Wait," Alu exhaled, turning to Aquarius, "Aquarius, did you…?"

"I just gave you a boost that's all." Aquarius said, folding her arms and turning away.

Alu stared at Aquarius with surprise. She then gave a slight grin and extinguished the fire from her hands.

"Well, thanks all the same," she said with a shrug. "I guess I owe you one."

Alu then turned to Rogue with a grateful smile.

"And thanks for saving my butt back there, Rogue. Great timing."

"You're welcome, Alu." Rogue nodded graciously. "But what you doing out here?"

"I was going to ask you that." Alu replied.

Aries then stepped forward.

"Um, sorry to interfere," she said, "but why don't we sort all of this out back at camp. It'll give us a chance to calm down as well."

"Good idea, Aries." Violet said.

"Okay, then." Alu nodded. "Let's go back."

"I'll meet you guys there in a minute." Rogue said. "First, I have to go get Frosch."

"Okay, we'll see you back at camp." Alu said.

With that, Alu and her companions headed back to their campsite while Rogue headed out to find his little Exceed friend. In about five minutes, he and Frosch came upon the campsite just as Alu lit a fire in the fire pit.

"Man, I'm hungry," she groaned. "All that fighting has really given me an appetite. Plus, a full belly after a fight like that sure sounds good right now."

"I wouldn't mind some food right now either." Violet said.

"Tell you what," Rogue said as he placed his traveling gear down, "how about I cook us a late supper? It'll give us time to talk."

"I think so, too." Frosch said cheerfully. "And Rogue is a pretty good cook."

"Awesome." Alu smiled. "I say go for it. Fire's all ready."


	20. Chapter 20: Younger Generation

**Chapter 20**

 **Younger Generation**

In about half an hour, the fish soup inside a small cooking pot propped over the fire was starting to steam and bubble. Every now and then, Rogue would take a large wooden spoon and stir the contents around for a few seconds. As the meal was being cooked, Alu explained to Rogue why she was traveling out here in the first place.

"…so with after the Celestial Spirit King told me where to find the Valley of Gates," Alu said, "I got the hilt of Aquarius's Key and left Magnolia. Unfortunately, my parents are out to get me now. I narrowly escaped from my dad back in Onibus."

"I see." Rogue simply replied.

"After I got away, Aries, Aquarius and I traveled all day." Alu explained. "We stopped to make camp for the night. I then found Violet being attacked by a fake Virgo, and that's when I encountered Ivan. That's when you showed up, Rogue."

"So you're on a mission to repair Aquarius's key." Rogue said thoughtfully. "That sounds interesting. How far are you from this Valley of Gates now?"

"We should be there by noon tomorrow." Aries answered. "Now, I don't mean to be rude, but would you mind telling us why you're out here?"

Rogue stopped stirring the soup and looked down at the fire. His face changed from calm and collected to a vengeful scowl.

Alu swallowed hard when she saw that. She had a feeling that she already knew why Rogue was out here.

"Ivan attacked Yukino and stole her soul." Rogue said in a deep voice. "Of course, I didn't know it was him until I found you fighting him. The fact we ran into each other is purely coincidence. But at least I now know who my target is."

Rogue then clenched his left fist.

"And I swear," he snarled in a low, dark voice, "when I get my hands of Ivan, he's going to regret the day he ever messed with Sabertooth!"

Alu sensed both Rogue conviction and emotional pain. She knew how much Rogue loved Yukino. She knew they had started dating last year because she had talked with them during the Grand Magic Games. Another piece of evidence of how much he cared for her was during the games itself. Alu had watched Yukino fight against Millianna from the Mermaid Heel Guild. Yukino managed to win the match, but she suffered a broken leg in the process. Rogue was the first one on the field and to aid her. He even carried her back to the infirmary.

While Alu suspected that everyone in the Sabertooth Guild was devastated and anger by what happened their Celestial Wizard, Rogue was the one most affect. She could just see it in his face.

Seeing someone suffering like this made Alu frown with guilt. She looked down at the grass between her feet.

"I'm sorry, Rogue," she said softly. "I wish there was something I could've done to help."

Rogue looked up at Alu.

"I can't seem to do anything right." Alu winced.

"What are you talking about?" Violet asked, perplexed. "That combo attack you and Aries did was amazing. You took out two powerful Neo Zodiac Spirits with it."

"Yeah," Alu said dully, "but that's only because I had Aries and Aquarius's help."

"And you got a problem with that?" Aquarius glared. "I thought you'd be more grateful than that."

"No, it's not that." Alu shook her head. "I really am grateful you guys helped me. It's just…it's complicated but…it's like I can't do anything on my own."

Alu then looked down at her right hand and ignited a small glow of white fire.

"I just don't get it," she admitted. "I was born with two kinds of powerful magic, and yet I'm just pathetic."

"I wouldn't say that." Rogue replied. "There's nothing wrong with having some help. Just because you fight alongside someone, doesn't mean you're weak or pathetic. Sting and I have fought together on countless occasions, and I honestly, I was glad to have him by my side a few times."

"That's not the point, Rogue." Alu said, extinguishing her flame and dropping her arm heavily to her side. "I just can't seem to increase my Magic like everyone else. I'm always stuck in the same place. I can only summon one Celestial Spirit at a time. And if I summon more than two in a row, I get extremely weak. There are some Spirits I can't even summon like Loke. I tried that once and I was knocked out for two days. And that was in recent years."

Rogue just fell silent. He could tell that Alu was leading up to something that she just wanted to get off her chest. He didn't know if he could do much to help her, but the least he could do was listen to what she had to say.

"But when I discovered I had Dragon Slayer Magic," Alu frowned sadly, "I thought I could finally be like my dad: strong and independent." She then looked down at the grass at her feet. "But I couldn't even match him in that. My flames are just first-degree burns compared to his. I'll never be like him."

Rogue raised an eyebrow. He managed to pick up something that Alu said in her confession. He also had a feeling that it was important.

"Alu," he said, "can I ask you something?"

"I guess so." Alu said indifferently, still looking down.

"You brought up your father at one point." Rogue said. "And I noticed that you said that when you found out you had Dragon Slayer Magic, you thought you could finally be like him. I'm just curious, is that the reason you want to be independent?"

Alu looked up at Rogue with a surprised expression.

"Do you feel like you're in Natsu's shadow and you just want to get out of it?" Rogue asked carefully.

"Wha…no." Alu shook her head. "It's not that at all. I don't hate my dad."

"I didn't say that." Rogue replied. "It's just I get the feeling that Natsu has something to do with you wanting to become more powerful in Magic. You can correct me if I'm wrong."

Alu groaned uncomfortably. She then raised her right hand and grabbed a chunk of her pink hair. She began stroking it it her thumb.

"Ever since I was little, everyone said I was the spitting image of my dad," she explained. "I guess I just figured that if I looked so much like him, I needed to be just like him because I felt that's what everyone expected of me. And I don't to be some damsel in distress. I hate being weak. I want to be able to handle things on my own like he can. I want to be just as strong as him. I want to live up to his reputation. But it's just no use. I'll never be like him. I'll always just be some pathetic half-wizard."

On that confession, Alu buried her face in her hands, feeling absolutely shameful. She had mixed feelings about saying all of this. On one hand, she felt relieved to finally tell someone what had been troubling her, but on the other she felt like she had exposed herself completely. She felt like her stomach had been sliced opened and her guts were spilled out onto the ground.

Violet and Frosch looked at her with sympathetic expressions. Aries and Aquarius both exchanged looks. While Aries looked concerned, Aquarius had a very pensive glint in her eyes.

Rogue thought about what Alu had just said to him. Finally, he gave a soft smile.

"You really look up to your father, don't you?" he stated.

"He's my hero." Alu admitted, still keeping her face hidden.

"Yeah, I can see that." Rogue nodded. "But I don't think your giving yourself enough credit."

Hearing that was enough to make Alu lift up her face and stare up at the Shadow Dragon Slayer with wide eyes.

"Why do you just see your Magic as the source of whether your just like Natsu?" Rogue asked. "You of all people should know that there's a lot more to him than his Magic. And as far as I can see, you a lot like him in many ways, and I'm not just talking about appearance. For one thing, you've got his relentless courage. The way you stood up to Ivan was absolutely fearless. You're also very skilled at fighting hand-to-hand. And if I may say, you're very reckless. I mean, it was risky of you to use so much of your Magic Power."

Alu blinked.

"But," Rogue sighed, "you managed to come through in the end. Your dad always had a streak of good luck, even in the darkest of times. I can see you got that from him."

Alu couldn't help but give a small grin.

"You kept saying that you're nothing like your father," Rogue continued, "but as far as I can see, you're more like him than you think. And I'm sure he would say the same thing if he was here."

Alu stared at Rogue for a moment with a hopeful gleam in her eyes. She then let out a breath of air and closed her eyes. Just the way the Sabertooth Wizard spoke made her feel better.

"And you're really special in another way, too." Rogue went on. "You're the only Fourth Generation Dragon Slayer in the world. At least as far as I know. You were born with Dragon Slayer Magic. The rest of us Dragon Slayers were either trained by Dragons, had lacrimas implanted in us, or both. So you're one of a kind."

Alu looked back up at Rogue.

"My dad said something like that once," she said.

"And he's right." Rogue grinned.

"Thanks, Rogue." Alu said sincerely.

There was a moment of silence. However, it was soon interrupted by a growling noise. Alu's eyes snapped opened and she curled in on herself, trying to muffle the hungry growls of her stomach. Aquarius looked at the young girl and snickered softly. Rogue just grinned and shook his head, turning his attention back to the soup.

"I think the soup's ready," he said.

Rogue then used the wooden spoon to scoop out the soup and poor it into six wooden bowls. He then passed one each out to Alu, Violet, Aries, Aquarius, Frosch, and finally himself. The moment Alu had gotten her hands on the bowl, she immediately brought it to her mouth and began slurping down the contents. It hot, delicious broth and chunks of fish meat ran down her throat and straight into her empty stomach.

"Mmmm, this is good!" she exclaimed gratefully, her mouth full of soup.

"Yeah," Violet smiled. "It's delicious."

"I think so, too." Frosch waved happily.

"Hmm," Aquarius said sarcastically, "it's nothing like what we've got in the Celestial World, but it's not bad either."

"Thank you very much, Rogue." Aries bowed her head respectfully.

"Well," Rogue shrugged modestly, "I'm not as good as Yukino. But she did teach me a thing or two."

At the mention of the Celestial Wizard, Alu stopped gulping down the soup and lowered it down to her lap. She whipped away the broth from her mouth and stared at the bottom of the bowl. There was still some soup left in it, and she able to see her reflection. She stared at it for a long time. Then, by some trickery of her imagination, she saw her reflection morph into an image of her father. Natsu's image looked back up at her with a determined expression, making her narrow her eyes and tighten her grip on the bowl.

She remembered that Ivan was after her father now. And she was the only one who knew about it.

"Dad," she whispered.

Rogue noticed her reaction and looked up at her. Alu sat still for a moment before turning her face up and giving Rogue an unwavering expression.

"Don't worry, Rogue." Alu said with conviction. "I promise; we'll save Yukino somehow. And I won't let Ivan lay a finger on my dad."

"Well," Aquarius spoke up, "you sure changed moods quickly. One moment your lamenting over your own Magic, the next your ready to fight again."

Alu turned to look at Aquarius. Her eyes were sharp and full of determination.

"My dad's soul's at stake," she said strongly. "And Yukino's life is on the line. This isn't about me."

"Really?" Aquarius rose an eyebrow. "Because I thought this whole quest was about you trying to prove yourself in the first place. Or have you forgotten that you promised to repair my key? From what I could tell, it was all about you at the beginning."

Alu flinched in anger. She then stood up sharply and turned to face Aquarius with a dangerous scowl. Aries and Violet leaned back when they saw how tense Alu's body was. Rogue and Frocsh just hung back and watched, not wanting to interfere with what was going to happen.

"You're calling me selfish?!" Alu snapped at the Water Spirit. "All you've done this whole trip is nag about being a slow poke! You've also insulted my family! All you care about is me repairing your key! For what?! You don't seem to care about returning to my mom at all, so why?! Do even care about the fact that my mom wants you back even though you've been nasty towards her?! Doesn't that mean anything to you?! Does it?! Or are you just so wrapped up in your attitude that you don't care?! Answer me, Aquarius!"

Aquarius glared at Alu for a moment. The two of them stared straight in the eye intensely, as if waiting to see who would be the first one to lash out.

However, Aquarius did something unexpected.

She closed her eyes, stood up, set the bowl of soup down on the log she was sitting on, and turned to hover away from the campsite. Alu watched as the Water Spirit disappeared among the shadows of the trees. Confused, she loosened the tension in her shoulders and stared at the place Aquarius had walked off in.

Something about the way Aquarius handled that situation felt off.

"Alu." Aries said softly.

Alu looked over at Aries. She was surprised when she saw that the Golden Ram Spirit was looking up at her with pleading eyes.

"Please don't be mad at Aquarius." Aries whimpered. "She's been through a lot more than you know."

Alu cast her gaze down.

"Please, just try and make amends." Aries pleaded. "I really hate to see you guys fighting. Please."

Alu hesitated. She looked back and forth between Aries and the direction Aquarius had vanished in. She really didn't want to have to confront Aquarius again. Especially if she was just going to splash her into a river again. But that look on Aries face was really starting to tear at Alu's soul. How could she say "no" to a face like that?

"Ugh, okay." Alu sighed with defeat. "I'll try. But I don't know what good it'll do."

With that, Alu set off. She walked into the forest, using her nose to track Aquarius's scent.

 _"I just hope she didn't go too far,"_ Alu thought begrudgingly to herself.


	21. Chapter 21: Bright Starlight

**Chapter 21**

 **Bright Starlight**

Alu found Aquarius on the edge of the forest. The Water Bearer Spirit was leaning up against a large tree and staring up at the night sky. Although she heard Alu approaching her, Aquarius made no notion of acknowledgement. Alu simply came up and leaned against a tree opposite of Aquarius. She was unsure of how to break the unsettling silence between them, so she just stared up at the sky. The moon shone down on the landscape in a wonder of silvery light, and the stars twinkled in the endless bluish black space high above the world. Alu's eyes drifted over the constellations, her mind subconsciously naming all of them.

Finally, Aquarius glanced over.

"What do you want?" she asked sourly.

Alu glared back for a brief moment before looking back up at the sky.

"I'm only here because Aries asked me," she stated. "And I can never turn her down when she gives me the puppy-dog eyes. I guess I'm suppose to try and make amends with you. Although honestly, I don't really want to."

"Well, neither do I." Aquarius snubbed. "I don't see why I should have to apologize to you."

"You don't?!" Alu whipped around fiercely. "Geez, you are so infuriating! You've got plenty to apologize for!"

"Really?" Aquarius narrowed her eyes. "Name a few reasons."

Alu clenched her fists.

"Fine!" she snapped. "One, you called me a love-child and insulted my mom! Two, you insulted my dad by calling my flame's pathetic! Three, you called my parents a bunch of freaks! And four, you've been nothing by ungrateful this whole time!"

Aquarius glanced at Alu with a bitter look in her eyes.

"Well, aren't you going to say sorry?!" Alu demanded.

"Only if you apologize first." Aquarius replied.

"What have I done?!" Alu shrieked.

"Let's see," Aquarius raised her index finger like she was counting, "you've failed to thank me for saving your butt from Ivan. You ignored me when I told you to run away. And you nearly got yourself killed when you came back to fight that maniac in the first place."

"That's pathetic!" Alu shouted, her ire rising even. "You insult my family and you expect ME to say sorry just for not obeying you?! You've got to be the most selfish person I've ever met! How did you get to be this way in the first place?! Or have you always been like this?! You don't care about anyone else!"

Finally, Aquarius flinched and gritted her teeth. Before Alu knew what was happening, the Water Spirit spun around and grabbed her by her vest. She then yanked Alu close so that she was forced to look into her blazing eyes. Alu only gave a brief look of fearful surprise before glaring back at Aquarius.

"You don't know what you're talking about, scruff munchkin!" Aquarius yelled. "You don't know what it's like being a Celestial Spirit! Knowing you will live on when every mortal around you will die! Watching your key-holder die right before your eyes, knowing that you can't do anything to save her! Do you know how painful it is to say good-bye to someone you care about know you will never see again?! The only way to avoid that is to pretend you DON'T CARE!"

Alu's widened her eyes in shock. She caught her breath when she saw that tears were beginning to appear in Aquarius's eyes. Alu also felt Aquarius's hand shaking, but it wasn't out of rage. It was out of pain.

"You're talking about my grandma, Layla, aren't you?" Alu said in a soft voice.

Aquarius grimaced as she slowly let Alu go. She then shrunk back and covered her eyes with her hand.

"Layla was one of few Celestial Wizards I came to care for." Aquarius admitted, her voice shaky and weak. "Most Celestial Wizards just treated me and my kin like we were slaves and tools. But she was one of the very few who didn't. And she died, my key was given to your mother. She was so much Layla. But…But I couldn't…"

Alu watched with an open mouth as Aquarius fell to the ground. She gripped the grass and soil with her left hand, and she tightened her right hand around her face. She shivered uncontrollably as she tried to prevent the tears in her eyes from falling. But she couldn't hold them back. They spilled from her eyes.

"It killed me to see Layla die!" Aquarius confessed in a heart-broken voice. "I was there when she passed away! It was too much, knowing she was gone forever! And my key was given to her daughter! She was just like Layla! I didn't want to feel that pain again! I hated Lucy…because I cared about her too much to admit it to myself! It was only after she broke my key that I could finally admit that! How can we Celestial Spirits become so close to a mortal, knowing that one day they will be GONE?!"

For the first time in a long time, Aquarius let herself cry without restraint. Her shoulders heaved with uncontainable sobs and she trembled with emotion.

Alu stood where she was, her face showing stunned sadness. She had no idea that Aquarius was going through that. And seeing someone who always gave a strong presence in a heart-broken state struck Alu in the soul. She realized she had been wrong about Aquarius this whole time. She wasn't just a moody control-freak because she wanted others to bow to her will, she just didn't want them to see her suffering.

This whole time she had been suffering, and she had been doing it alone.

But Alu saw it. And seeing it made one tear form in her right eye and stream down her cheek.

Alu's compassionate side got the best her. She walked over, knelt down to Aquarius's level, and hugged her. Aquarius felt her embrace and tensed for a moment. Her eyes snapped open and she looked over at the teenaged girl with surprise.

"I'm sorry, Aquarius." Alu whispered with sincerity. "I can't imagine how hard that must've been. Or how much you've been hurting this whole time. Saying good-bye to someone you care about, or knowing that one day you'll never see them again. I know I can't stop that, because I'm mortal just like everyone else in this world. And I can't fix the pain your feeling. I honestly don't know what I can do to help. If I knew what to say, I would say it, but I don't. But I want you to know you're not alone. We're all here for you if you only let us help. And maybe you and I…can we start over?"

Aquarius blinked at that request.

"I don't want to keep fighting with you." Alu said. "I know I can't replace anyone you've cared for in the past, but I don't want to keep fight you. So will you give me another chance?"

Aquarius looked at Alu for a moment. Something in the way Alu spoke had made her stop and think. This was a side of her that she had never seen before. It was so different than what she had normally seen of Alu, that Aquarius wasn't sure if this girl was the same one she had been quarrelling with this entire time.

But it was. It was still the same Alu. The same Alu Layla Dragneel, daughter to Natsu and Lucy Dragneel.

 _"She's just like her."_ Aquarius thought to herself.

Finally, she closed her eyes and slowly raised her left arm. Although hesitant, she hugged Alu back.

"We can at least try to start over," she said. "And Alu, I'm sorry, too."

For a minute or two, Alu and Aquarius sat in the silence of the night in their embrace of friendship.

Finally, the two pulled away and looked each other straight in the eye. For the first time in forever, they looked at each other, not with contempt and resentment, but with kindness and equality.

"You know, Alu," Aquarius grinned, "you keep saying you're a lot like your father. But I think you've fail to see how much you're like your mother."

Alu blinked with surprise. That was the first time anyone had ever said that to her. Everyone always told her she was just like her father. No one ever told her she was like her mother.

"How so?" Alu asked.

"Well," Aquairus shrugged, "for one thing, you treat your Spirits like equals. And the way you teamed up with Aries is something that I could see Lucy doing. You're also very passionate about what you believe in. And if anyone gets in your way, you're not afraid to take them down."

Alu just stared.

"But most of all," Aquarius went on, "you have a big heart, just like her. You may be a Dragneel, but you also have Heartfilla blood flowing through you. Not to mention, while you have your father's eyes, you have your mother's face."

Alu smiled softly. Up until now, she didn't think she much in common with Lucy. The only thing she knew she had in common with her was that she was Celestial Wizard like her. But some reason, hearing that she had some more common traits with Lucy made her feel a little prouder than before. Especially since they came from someone who had known her mother better than anyone else.

"You know that's the first time anyone's ever told me that." Alu said.

"Well, now you know." Aquarius simply stated.

"Thanks." Alu grinned.

Alu and Aquarius then stood up and turned to look back up at the sky one last time.

"We better get back." Alu said tiredly. "We've got a long journey tomorrow and we're going to need our strength. And I'm sure Aries wants to see that we haven't bitten each other's heads off."

"Sure thing." Aquarius replied. "Let's go."

With that, the two friends began to walk back through the forest.

"Oh, one more thing." Aquarius said sharply.

"What's that?" Alu asked.

As Alu turned to look at Aquarius, she jolted and leaned back with a startled expression as the Water Spirit got up in her face with a serious scowl.

"Don't you dare tell anyone I cried!" she warned in a dark voice. "Or I'm going to make you wish you were never born!"

"Hey, don't worry." Alu replied casually. "I'm not sayin' anything."

"Good!" Aquarius said harshly.

Aquarius then backed away from Alu as if nothing happened. For a while, the two just walked silently through the forest. When were about to reach the campsite, a question suddenly popped into Aquarius's head.

"Hey, scruff munchkin," she said, "I got a question for ya."

"Yeah, what is it?" Alu asked.

"I noticed a while back that you mention knocking down Taurus a few times." Aquarius said, sounding legitimately curious. "Are you the reason he kept coming back to the Celestial World with black eyes for a while?"

Alu turned to look at Aquarius with a seemingly innocent expression. However, it soon changed into a large, cheeky grin.

"Yep, it was me." Alu admitted, sounding rather proud of herself. "One time Taurus tried to flirt with Mom when Dad wasn't around. He got as far as saying my mom had a hot figure, and then the next thing he knew, he was seeing stars, figuratively and literally."

Aquarius stared at Alu with utter surprise.

"You mean you sent him flying?" she said, bewildered.

"To the moon." Alu replied smugly. "Ever since then, he's been afraid of me. Whenever I'm around he doesn't dare flirt with Mom or anyone else. Cause he knows I'm going to knock him out if he does."

Aquarius couldn't prevent herself from giving and impressed grin. It was about time someone put that pervert bull in his place. And Alu seemed to be the right one for the job.

"What about Leo?" Aquarius asked. "I know he used to flirt with your mom back then."

"Oh, he's fine." Alu shrugged, waving her hand dismissively. "He might comment on my mom's appearance once in a while, but he doesn't outright flirt with her anymore. He says it's because he doesn't flirt with committed women. But I think it's because he knows Dad will kill him if he tried to hit on Mom."

"Well, I guess that should be expected from the Lion Spirit." Aquarius replied. "He's fearless in battle, but cowardly when it comes to love."

Alu chuckled at the comment.

* * *

About half an hour later, Alu was lying flat on her back, staring up at the night sky above her. All around her, Aquarius, Aries, Violet, Frosch, and Rogue all slept soundly.

Alu had a hard time falling asleep. It wasn't just because the events of the night had left her with some things to think. It mostly because she found herself thinking of her parents. She figured that it must have been because she was thinking about Ivan threatening to steal her father's soul. After all, it was only then that she started to worry about Natsu again. And then after those conversations about her parents, Alu couldn't stop her mind from drifting back to them.

She didn't quite know why, but she suddenly found herself missing them. She had never been away from them this long before. Now she was almost wishing that they were here with her.

She also couldn't help but wonder where they were right now. Chances were that they were camping out somewhere, looking up at the same sky she was looking up at. And that they were watching all of the stars sparkle brightly in that endless void.

As Alu looked up at the stars, and saw their bright lights, reminded Alu of a song. It was one that her parents used to sing to her when she was very small.

Soon, she began to hum it to herself.

* * *

Natsu, still awake and sitting down at the base of the tree he had been leaning up against before, looked down at his wife. Lucy had fallen asleep earlier, snuggling up next to him for warmth and comfort. He had wrapped his scarf around the two of them, and now held her in a loving embrace as she slept against him. He couldn't help but smile at her as she breathed softly and peacefully.

Natsu then turned his head back up to the sky. He stared up at the stars as he thought of Alu. He was hoping that she was at least safe out there. And maybe even looking up at the sky like he was. His daughter might be a long way from him, but at least they were under the same sky. That alone was a comforting thought.

As he stared up at the twinkling stars, Natsu began to remember a song that Lucy used to sing to Alu when she was little. Although Natsu wasn't one for having the best memory in the world, he could remember that lullaby as clear as a bell. It just had the kind of melody that made it impossible for him to forget. He even sang it to Alu once or twice when Lucy had been called away on S-Class missions for the Guild. Back then, Alu used to get horrible nightmares that woke her up in panic. But this song always managed to calm her down.

And just humming it made Natsu feel calmer, too.

* * *

What neither Natsu or Alu knew was that they were both humming the same song at the same time. Soon, they both went form humming to singing it softly. Their voices, if they were singing it side-by-side, would've been in perfect harmony.

But right now, they sung together in spirit.

* * *

 _" When the darkness falls and it casts out the sky,_

 _I'll be a bright starlight to guide you home,_

 _You are not alone._

 _Though it's like all hope is gone inside,_

 _I'll be a bright starlight to let you know_

 _You are not alone. "_

* * *

When Alu had finished singing, she gave a small smile. That lullaby from her childhood had somehow refreshed her soul. It was one of the things that kept her close to her parents, even if was only in metaphorical way.

Finally, exhaustion took over and Alu rolled onto her side. With a sigh, she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

At the same time, Natsu finally allowed himself to give into his fatigue. Resting his head on Lucy's and holding her close, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.


	22. Chapter 22: The Ransom

**Chapter 22**

 **The Ransom**

 _The next morning…_

Alu's group awoke when the sun rising over the eastern horizon shone down on them. Unfortunately, everyone was confronted with a situation already.

Aquarius and Aries weren't looking so good. They both were starting to get a sickly look in their eyes, and they seemed to have a hard time getting up. They managed to, but Alu and Rogue could see how much effort it took them to do so.

"Aries, what's wrong?" Alu asked concerned as she did her best to support her friend.

"That fight yesterday," Aries replied weakly, "it took a lot out of Aquarius and I. We exhausted a lot of our power, and our life force was weakened, too."

"Then you take another Astral Elixir." Alu ordered. "That should restore your energy."

Aries nodded in agreement and slowly opened her hip pouch. As she reached in to grab the vials, she let out a small shriek and yanked her hand out. She brought her fingers up to her mouth stuck them in.

"Aries, what's wrong?!" Alu exclaimed.

Aries removed her fingers from her mouth to reveal that they had been cut. Already, they were starting to bleed. Aries gave a worried expression before opening up her pouch again. This time, she opened it wider so that Alu could see inside as well.

Alu stared in horror. The last two glass vials that contained the Astral Elixir were shattered inside the pouch. All that was left was small, sharp pieces of glass, and only droplets of the Elixer.

They must have broken last night during their fight with Ivan and his Neo Spirits.

"That's not good." Alu said, concerned.

Alu then turned to her vest and tore of a small piece of the left side. She stopped only for a moment when she realized that there was a larger tear in the corner. She blinked when she remembered that Neo Ophiuchus pierced there when she attacked her last night. She figured that the Dark Snake Charmer Spirit must've torn a piece off when that happened.

Alu just shrugged, immediately disregarding it and turning her attention back to Aries. It was just her vest, nothing to be too concerned about. Aries, on the other hand, was a different story.

With the small piece of cloth, Alu wrapped it around Aries bleeding finger, tying a secure knot so that it wouldn't come undone.

"What do we do?" Aries whimpered. "The Celestial Spirit King didn't anticipate this, and Aquarius and I can't return to the Celestial World until her key is repaired."

"Then we only have one choice." Aquarius spoke up, trying her best to hold herself up. "We have to get to the Valley of Gates and get my key repaired."

"Agreed." Alu nodded. "Then we should get moving. The sooner we get there; the sooner we can get you guys back."

"I'll come with you." Violet volunteered. "I can support someone with my Aera Magic if you need me to."

"Thanks, Violet." Alu nodded.

"Frosch and I will accompany you as well." Rogue said as he began to gather up his things.

"No, Rogue." Alu replied. "You and Frosch need to find my dad and warn him about Ivan. If he's going after First Generation Dragon Slayers, then my dad, Wendy, and Gajeel are in grave danger."

"But I can't just leave you out here alone." Rogue protested. "What would I say to you parents?"

"Tell them not to worry." Alu said firmly. "I got my Magic back, so I can summon one of my Spirits if I need to. Plus, I got an upgrade in my Dragon Slayer Magic thanks to Aquarius. I'll be fine."

"Besides," Aquarius interjected, "only Celestial Wizards can enter the Valley of Gates. Alu may be a Dragon Slayer, but she's a Celestial Wizard, too. Only she, Aries, and I can enter the Valley."

"Well, what about Violet?" Frosch asked innocently.

"I'll just wait for them outside." Violet answered.

"Just tell my mom and dad that I had something I needed to take care of," Alu said to Rogue. "Tell them I'm safe and I'll be back soon. Just don't tell them my reason for being out here. I want it to be a surprise."

Rogue looked at Alu for a moment. Alu could see by the look in his eyes that he wasn't comfortable with the little Fairy Tail wizard going off on her own with two weary Spirits, especially since they now knew that an insane madman was out there on the loose. Not to mention, that madman had it out for anyone in Fairy Tail.

Given that much, it was understandable why Rogue was hesitant to let Alu go alone. But he couldn't ignore that fiery look in her eyes. Rogue had definitely seen that look in Natsu's eyes many times before. He remembered the first time he saw it was when he and Sting faced off against Natsu and Gajeel for the first time during the X791 Grand Magic Games.

Rogue couldn't help but grin. Alu was definitely Natsu's daughter. He had no choice but agree to her request.

"Very well, then." Rogue nodded. "I'll give Natsu and Lucy your message. Just promise me you'll be careful. And if you do encounter Ivan again, just run and don't look back. You can't let him catch you."

"I promise." Alu replied. "And don't worry, as soon as I'm done repairing Aquarius's key, I'll skedaddle on back to Fairy Tail. And I won't stop for nothing."

"Then I wish you the best of luck, Alu."

"I do, too." Frosch smiled, waving his paw in the air.

With their good-byes said, Alu, Aries, Aquarius, and Violet left for the Valley of Gates, while Rogue and Frosch left to find the Fairy Tail search party.

As they traveled, Alu did her best to support Aquarius, while Violet stuck close to Aries with constant vigilance towards the Spirit's well-being. There was not much they could do at this point. Their only option was to get the Valley of Gates before it was too late.

They were racing against the clock now. They just had to keep going.

* * *

 _Two hours later, back in the forest…_

After a quick breakfast, Natsu, Lucy, Grey, Erza, and Gajeel all set out on their search once again. Pretty soon, Wendy, Carla and Romeo had joined up with them.

After they had dropped off Ash and Carol, the two wizards and snow-white Exceed returned to the train station and took a late-night train to the city closest to the location where the others were resting for the night. They slept on the train, so they weren't too tired when they met up with the rest of the team. They managed to catch up with them thanks to Wendy's enhanced sense of smell and Carla's ability to fly.

No one spoke a word to each other as they walked through the forest, keeping their sense on alert for any sign of Alu.

Natsu walked ahead of the group with a constant expression of determination. He had made up his mind that he was going to find Alu today no matter what. And if she tried to run away again, he wouldn't let her go like he did in Onibus. She was coming home, even if he had to use force to bring her back.

As Natsu sniffed the air again, he suddenly stopped and stuck his arm out. This was an indication for everyone else to stop.

"What is it, Natsu?" Lucy asked warily. "Do you sense something?"

"We got company." Natsu said defensively, pointing to a patch if trees just in front of them.

Everyone braced themselves, readying their weapons and Magic.

However, all fears were allayed when they saw who stepped out of the trees. Although they were surprised, they all lowered their guard when they saw a Sabertooth wizard walking towards them.

"Rogue." Erza said with surprise.

The Shadow Dragon Slayer nodded.

"Hello everyone," he said calmly. "I had a feeling it was you."

"I did, too." Frosch waved happily.

"What are you two doing out here?" Wendy asked.

Rogue's face hardened into a small scowl.

"Yukino was attacked," he explained bitterly. "I've come looking for her assailant."

Everyone looked at each other with sympathetic expressions.

"Rogue," Lucy said, "we know about what happened to Yukino. I'm so sorry."

"But I've also got some good news, some bad news, and some even worse news." Rogue replied, looking back up at the group. "The good news is that I found out who did it. That bad news is…"

Rogue hesitated. Natsu stared with anticipation. He was even more defensive now than before.

Finally, Rogue took a deep breath.

"It's Ivan Dreyer," he said darkly. "He's back. And he's out for revenge on Fairy Tail. He had some how learned Curse Power and took Yukino's soul for himself."

All the Fairy Tail wizards jolted in horrified shock. A wave of cold fear rushed through them, feeling like it had just frozen their hearts.

Ivan was back? After all these years, he's striking back again. And if he's stolen Yukino's soul, something that could only be done by Curse Power, then that meant he was even more serious about destroying Fairy Tail than he was before. If they had thought he and his guild, Raven Tail, were dangerous back then, then goodness knows how dangerous he was now. Probably ten times more than ever.

"But why?" Wendy asked, shaken. "Why would he do that?"

Rogue closed his eyes gravely.

"That's where the worst news comes in," he said, his voice low. "He's combined the Celesial Magic of Yukino's soul with his Shikigami Magic and created his own set of Zodiac Spirits."

Natsu swallowed hard.

"But he's not stopping there." Rogue continued, opening his eyes. "He's now after the First Generation Dragon Slayers of Fairy Tail."

Once again, everyone froze at the news.

"Dragon Slayers?" Wendy shuddered. "But why? What does he want?"

"I don't quite know." Rogue explained. "All I could gather when I encountered him is that he's trying to complete a kind of Spell that would make him into a Celestial Dragon Slayer."

"Celestial Dragon Slayer?" Romeo questioned, trying to hide the fact he was disturbed by the news. "I've never heard of that one."

"Neither have I." Gajeel said.

"Well, that's Ivan said he was trying to become." Rogue replied. "And he's trying to do it by taking the souls of a Celestial Wizard and Dragon Slayer. So far, he's tapped into Yukino's soul and has abused her power. He's created his own Zodiac Spirits."

Natsu scowled.

"That's just wrong!" he snapped. "He's going to pay for this! If it's a fight he wants, then I'll make sure that he gets one!"

"Calm yourself, Natsu." Rogue said. "Trust me, I'm just as angry as you are, but Ivan is stronger now than he was back then. His Neo Zodiac Spirits are certainly a force to be reckoned with."

"I think so, too." Frosch moaned. "If Alu hadn't helped Rogue, he would've been badly hurt."

"Alu?!" Natsu and Lucy gasped at the same time.

"Are you saying that you found Alu last night?!" Lucy asked anxiously.

Rogue turned to Natsu and Lucy and nodded. The next thing he knew, Natsu had grabbed hold of his cape and was soon up in his face with a frantic scowl.

"WHERE'S ALU?!" Natsu yelled. "WHY ISN'T SHE WITH YOU?! DID IVAN KIDNAP HER?!"

"Let me go and I'll explain!" Rogue replied harshly. "I can tell you this much: she's fine!"

Natsu gave a surprised expression. Slowly, he loosened his grip on Rogue's cape and let go. He then stepped back, stiffly.

"I found Alu fighting Ivan last night." Rogue explained, completely aware of the distress in the air. "I managed to rescue her and we fought Ivan to a standstill. However, he got away."

"But why isn't Alu with you now?" Grey asked. "Didn't she tell you that she ran away from home? I thought you of all people would stop her."

Rogue turned to Grey with a perplexed expression.

"What are talking about? She didn't run away."

"What?" Erza asked, voicing what everyone was thinking.

"She didn't run away." Rogue repeated. "I can't tell you what she's doing because she made promise not to, but she's on a…special mission, let's say. As for what she's doing, she wants it to be a surprise. But she did ask me to tell you that she's safe, and she'll be coming home soon."

Silence.

"So then…" Lucy exhaled deeply. "Alu never ran away in the first place."

"Well, at least that's good news." Erza smiled warmly.

The others in the group all nodded in agreement. This was the best news they heard all day. Happy let out a small laughter at the news. Wendy and Romeo looked at each other and smiled. Gajeel just folded his arms across his chest and lowered his head, grinning. Lucy clasped her hands together and brought them up to her mouth, smiling happily.

Natsu lowered his head, covering his eyes in the shadow of his bangs. He had felt like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Alu hadn't run away after all. He didn't know what she was up to, but at least he knew that she didn't run away simply out of spite or anger. And if there was one thing he knew about Alu, while she might be a bit of a prankster and a trouble-maker, she wasn't a liar. If she said she didn't run away and that she was on a personal mission, then she didn't run away.

"Thank goodness," he whispered under his breath.

However, Natsu's mood changed quicker than it took to blink. He whipped around violently to reveal a very, very angry expression.

"WHERE'S ASH?!" he roared. "I'M GONNA TURN HIM INTO HIS NAME!"

Grey immediately stepped forward defensively.

"Hey!" he shouted. "Don't blame my son for this! That little terror of yours is the one who ran off without telling anyone!"

"ASH WAS THE ONE WHO SAID SHE RAN AWAY!" Natsu shot back fiercely.

Grey grabbed Natsu by the collar of his jacket and raised his other fist, ready to strike.

"ASH JUST SAID SHE _THOUGHT_ ABOUT RUNNING AWAY, FLAME BRAIN!" Grey raised his voice. "ALU RAN OFF AND LEFT US IN A STATE OF PANIC! SO BLAME HER FOR ALL THE TROUBLE! DON'T TAKE IT OUT ON MY SON!"

Natsu then landed a punch on Grey's face. It wasn't long before those two were fighting; slugging each other with cheap-shots, pulling hair, kneeing and kicking each other in the stomach, and decking each other when they got the chance.

Everyone else just stepped back and watched with painful expressions. They should've seen this fight coming a mile away the moment they heard the news of Alu.

Erza was the one who took action. The moment she saw an opening, she moved in and grabbed Natsu and Grey by one of their ears, twisting them. This defiantly made the two men stop brawling, and start whining in pain.

"That's enough, you two." Erza commanded. "Now that we know Alu's real reason for leaving, we should get back to looking for her. It would be best for us to find her before Ivan does."

Natsu and Grey exchanged only one more glare before complying. Erza let the two them go and walked over to Rogue.

"I thank you for your help, Rogue," she said gratefully. "And I thank you for warning us about Ivan. If there is anyway that we can help you, please ask."

Rogue nodded. He was about to speak again when a sharp sound of a raven came from high above them.

Everyone snapped their heads up and saw a black raven circling through the opening in the tree branches above Natsu looked closer, he noticed that there was something in the raven's beak. It looked like a piece of paper with a purple cloth tied to it. The moment he noticed this, the raven's eye moved and looked over at him. It seemed to have sense that he had seen it. It dropped the piece of paper right over Natsu and flew away.

Natsu caught the paper with one hand and brought it closer to him for examination.

"What's that, Natsu?" Happy asked. "Some kind of message?"

Natsu didn't respond. For he noticed something.

Attached to the paper was a corner piece of a purple cloth. And on the edge of the cloth was gold lining. On top of that, a familiar scent came from it. The scent of vanilla and mahogany.

Alu's scent!

"That's a piece of Alu's vest!" Lucy exclaimed when Natsu removed the cloth and handed it to her.

With shaky hands, Natsu unfolded the message and began to read it intently. It was handwritten in fast, sharp lettering, like the person who wrote it was in a hurry.

What was written on the paper made Natsu's face go pale, and his eyes wide with distress.

 _Natsu Dragneel of Fairy Tail,_

 _This is to let you know that I captured your daughter. If you want to see her alive again, then meet me at Sacred Mount Zonia by sunset today, and come alone. Failure to meet the demands, and your daughter will die a slow and painful death._

 _Ivan Dreyer_

Natsu growled savagely and tightened his grip on the letter, threatening to tear it in two.

"That bastard!" he snarled in a low voice. "Kidnapped Alu!"

"Wait!" Lucy gasped in horror. "You mean Ivan's got Alu?!"

"And he's using her as a bargaining chip!" Natsu raised his voice dangerously. "He wants me to come to Mount Zonia alone and get there by sunset! If I don't, then he'll kill her!"

Everyone stared worriedly at Natsu's news. Natsu angrily crumbled up the piece of paper, set it on fire with his Magic, and threw it to the ground. He then stomped down on it, extinguishing the flames and leaving nothing but a pile of ashes.

Rogue's eyes widened in alarm. Was that true? Some time did pass between when he last saw her and when that message arrived. So it was certainly possible. If it was true, then he should never have left Alu on her own. He should've stayed with her.

"This is all my fault." Rogue said aloud. "I shouldn't have left her."

"It's not your fault, Rogue." Carla replied. "It's Ivan. The question now is what to do. This is obviously a trap to lure Natsu away. If Ivan's after Dragon Slayers, then he'll probably want Natsu's soul. But we can't just leave Alu at his mercy either."

"Then what do we do?" Romeo said, concerned.

For a moment, no one spoke. They were each going over a plan of action in their minds. However, since they were all jostled and disturbed by the message, they couldn't think clearly.

Natsu knew what he had to do though. There was no doubt in his mind.

"Erza," he spoke up in a deep voice, "where's Mount Zonia from here?"

"Natsu," Erza responded firmly, "you can't seriously be thinking of giving yourself up. It's a trap and you know it."

Natsu turned to look at everyone. There was no mistaking that look of conviction in his eyes.

"I'm the one Ivan wants," he said. "And I'm not about to risk Alu's life. If he really has her, then I'll have to meet his demands. But I'm not going to just give myself up. I'm going to fight him and get Alu back in one piece."

"Natsu," Lucy whispered, showing that she was afraid for the safety of her family.

Natsu sensed her fear and walked over to her. He grabbed her shoulders reassuringly.

"Don't worry, Lucy," he said in as calm of a voice as he could. "I'll get Alu back. And we'll both make it home."

Lucy slowly nodded, swallowing hard.

Natsu, still holding onto Lucy, turned back to the others.

"You guys leave this to me," he ordered. "Just get back to Fairy Tail and tell Gramps what's going on."

Grey, Erza, Gajeel, Wendy, Carla, and Romeo all hesitated for a moment. Finally, they all nodded in agreement.

"Rogue, you get back to your guild and tell them everything you know. I hate to admit this, but I have a feeling that we'll be needing Sabertooth's help."

"Right." Rogue replied strongly.

Erza sighed deeply and pointed northeast.

"Sacred Mount Zonia is a few miles that way," she stated. "If you keep walking all day, you should get there by sunset. Just be careful, Natsu. You know how dangerous Ivan is."

"I'll be careful, Erza." Natsu replied.

"Let me come with you, Natsu." Happy begged, hovering beside the Dragon Slayer. "Please, let me help. I can get you there faster if we fly."

Natsu frowned slightly and shook his head. He then petted the little Exceed's head.

"I'm sorry, buddy," he said. "But I can't risk any member of my family on this. Ivan wants me to come alone, and that's what I'm going to do. I need you to take care of Lucy."

Happy frowned sadly before nodding in agreement. Natsu then turned back to Lucy, who was still looking at him with dread in her eyes.

"I promise I'll be back." Natsu assured. "And I'll bring Alu with me, alive."

"Just come back safe and sound." Lucy replied. "That's all I ask. And you're not back by next morning, then I'm coming after both of you."

Natsu acknowledged Lucy's statement. He didn't want to put her in harms way, but he also knew that there was no way he would talk her out of that promise.

Natsu then brought his face closer to Lucy's, and the two shared a farewell kiss. As they did, they were both hoping that it wasn't their last kiss ever. Natsu then pulled away, took in a deep breath, and let Lucy go. He immediately ran off towards the Northeast, disappearing into the forest.

Although it wasn't even quite noon yet, Natsu couldn't help but feel like he didn't have much time. Just hearing that Alu was in the clutches of Ivan, one of the vilest men Natsu had ever met in his life, made his paternal instincts kick into overdrive and more. This was way different then the other times he had gone after Alu when she ran off on solo jobs. This time, Natsu was certain that Alu's life was in grave danger, and he had to get to her fast.

He had no idea what he was going to do when he got to Mount Zonia, but that didn't matter to him. The only thing he focused on was getting there before it was too late.

"Just hang on, Alu!" he said to himself. "Your dad's comin' to save ya!"


	23. Chapter 23: The Valley of Gates

**Chapter 23**

 **The Valley of Gates**

 _Somewhere further east…_

However, what Natsu didn't know was that Alu wasn't captured at all. In fact, she was doing relatively fine.

The midday sun disappeared behind a series of white clouds as Alu and her group made their way across a barren plain. A strange fog began to roll in, making the air feel humid and heavy. Alu couldn't quite explain it, but something about this fog felt different. It felt like it was some kind of physical presence.

"We should be getting closer." Alu said to the others. "I don't know why, but I feel like were almost there."

"I gotta say, scruff munchkin," Aquarius exhaled, her voice heavy with weariness, "I'm actually amazed you got this much stamina."

"I can't sit still for very long." Alu replied. "I've always been energetic. That and Dad put me through many kinds of training: from cardio to martial arts."

"That explains so much." Aquarius said sarcastically.

Alu fell silent for a moment. She couldn't shake a thought that had been nagging at her ever since her encounter with Ivan. He said that he wanted to become a Celestial Dragon Slayer, and Neo Virgo said that Alu was also a Celestial Dragon Slayer. What did that mean? And why was Ivan so bent on becoming this Dragon Slayer? What was a Celestial Dragon Slayer anyway?

As Alu thought of that question, she looked over at Aquarius and Aries. She remembered that they started acting weird the moment they found out that Ivan was after that power. Aries was more overprotective than usual, and Aquarius lashed out violently when Ivan revealed his plan; saying that he wasn't "worth of that power".

Of course, maybe they know something about this! After all, if a Celestial Dragon Slayer is connected to Celestial Wizards, then maybe Celestials Spirits know something, too.

"Hey, Aquarius, Aries," Alu spoke up, "I've been thinking. Ivan kept saying that he wanted to become a Celestial Dragon Slayer. And Neo Virgo said that I was a candidate to become one because I have Celestial and Dragon Slayer Magic. But Ivan mentioned a Spell, too. What I'm asking is this: do either of you know what makes a Celestial Dragon Slayer?"

Aquarius and Aries didn't answer, but they did have small reactions to that questions. Aries bit her lip nervously, and Aquarius clenched.

"Do you have to complete a Spell to become one?" Alu asked. "Do you have to merge Celestial and Dragon Slayer Magic together? Is that why Ivan is stealing souls of Celestial Wizards and Dragon Slayers?"

"Ivan doesn't know what he's doing." Aquarius suddenly replied bluntly.

Alu blinked. It was now that Aquarius had a very stern expression.

"That man doesn't know anything." Aquarius went onto say with resentment. "It's not _A_ Celestial Dragon Slayer, it's _THE_ Celestial Dragon Slayer."

" _THE_ …Celestial Dragon Slayer?" Alu narrowed her eyes in confusion.

Aquarius lowered her head.

"And she lived four hundred years ago," the Water Spirit said bitterly. "And Ivan is doing nothing but tarnishing her legacy. He'll never be the Celestial Dragon Slayer. Ever."

Alu frowned sadly when she saw Aquarius grimace in emotional pain. She glanced over and saw that Aries had the same expression, only it was more apparent on her.

 _"I guess she must've died, just like my grandmother._ " Alu thought sadly to herself. _"She must've been someone they loved very much."_

"Um," Alu said tentatively, "if it doesn't bother you guys, I would like to hear more about her. Like…how did she become the Celestial Dragon Slayer?"

Aquarius and Aries both fell silent for a moment. Aries looked over at Aquarius with an unsure expression. Alu watched as both them exchanged facial expressions, like they were communicating to each other through some kind of telepathy.

Finally, Aquarius gave a small nod and looked down at the ground.

"The Celestial Dragon Slayer was a human in Earth-Land back when Dragons terrorized the world," the Spirit explained. "Her family was killed by a Dragon, leaving her as the sole survivor. Around the same time, one Spirit from our world happened to stumble into this world by accident."

"Spirit?" Alu raised her eyebrows. "Hold on, I remember the Celestial Spirit King told me about that. But he said that the person the Spirit befriended became the first Celestial Wizard."

"That is true," Aquarius replied, "but don't you remember how Dragon Slayers came to be known?"

"Yeah, they were trained by Dragons."

"Well, it just so happens that the Spirit who first entered Earth-Land all those years ago was the Dragon Spirit."

"Dragon Spirit?" Alu inhaled sharply.

"One of the most powerful Spirits in our world." Aquarius said in a low voice. "With power that even rivals that of the Celestial Spirit King: Draco, the Celestial Dragon."

"Draco?" Alu whispered in wonder.

So there was a Dragon Spirit in the Celestial World. Draco, the Celestial Dragon. The sound of that name seemed to fill Alu with a strange kind of empowerment.

"Yes," Aquarius nodded, "as you can probably guess, Draco was the one who trained the Celestial Dragon Slayer. More than that, he took her in, and loved her as if she was his own daughter. He told her stories of the Celestial World and taught her magic. Magic that would later become known as Dragon Slayer Magic."

"So," Alu said slowly, "she was…the very first Dragon Slayer, too?"

Aquarius gave a single nod.

"I guess you could say that Celestial Magic and Dragon Slayer Magic were connected from the beginning," the Water Spirit said. "The Celestial Dragon Slayer was the most powerful of them all. She carried that responsibility with grace and courage, and we Celestial Spirits stood by her side as one."

Aquarius then lowered her gaze and her face became very somber.

"But like all mortals of this world, she was destined to die. And during the hardest fight of our lives, she…"

Aquarius winced and turned away. Aries sniffled and wiped some tears from her eyes. Alu and Violet looked on with empathetic expressions.

"She must've really been someone special." Violet said softly.

Aries nodded.

"After that…incident, Draco disappeared." Aries explained sadly. "He hasn't been seen in the Celestial World since."

"I'm so sorry, guys." Alu frowned. "That must've been really hard. But I can see why you'd be mad about Ivan wanting to complete a Spell to become the Celestial Dragon Slayer. I bet he invented it just so he could be more powerful."

Alu then looked up with a sudden expression of curiosity. The Celestial Dragon Slayer existed over four hundred years ago. How in all of Earth-Land did Ivan find out about someone that was alive that long ago?

"How did he even know about this anyway?" Violet questioned out loud, saying what Alu was wondering. "Was the Celestial Dragon Slayer very well-known?"

"Back then she was." Aquarius replied. "But I doubt she would be well-known now. I don't know how Ivan found out about the Celestial Dragon Slayer, but he's got it all wrong."

"What do you mean?"

Aquarius swallowed hard and hesitated for a moment.

Finally, she took a deep breath.

"He keeps going on about a Spell," she said slowly, "but if my theory's correct, then what he found isn't a Spell, it's a Prophecy."

"A Prophecy?" Alu breathed.

"In the Celestial World, there's a Prophecy about Draco coming back. It goes like this, 'The Celestial Dragon will reawaken when the souls of a Celestial Wizard and Dragon Slayer become one and whole.'"

"The Celestial Dragon will awaken?" Alu blinked. "Is that why Ivan is hunting Celestial Wizards and Dragon Slayers?"

"That's my guess." Aquarius scowled. "But that fool of a man, he disgraces Draco and the Celestial Dragon Slayer for doing this. They were willing to give up their lives for this world, and he just wants their power for himself. He's not worthy of it."

Alu looked away. Her eyes narrowed as she slipped into deep thought. For a moment, she became unaware of everything else: her walking feet, Aquarius's weight on her shoulder, and even the air around her. She was fully concentrating on the Prophecy that Aquarius had just said to her.

 _"'The Celestial Dragon will reawaken when the souls of a Celestial Wizard and Dragon Slayer become one and whole,'"_ She thought pensively to herself. _"What does that mean? Is Ivan trying to awaken Draco? I wouldn't doubt it if it was. Seems like the thing he would try and do. But if his method is wrong according to Aquarius, then what IS the right way? What does it all mean? Think Alu, this might be important."_

However, Alu didn't have much time to think about the Prophecy any further. For at that moment, as she and her friends were walking past a mound of rocks, Violet suddenly stopped. As she did, she involuntarily let go of Aries, causing the Golden Ram Spirit to stumble a bit in surprise. Alu and Aquarius looked back in surprise and saw that Violet had her paws up against an invisible wall.

"Violet!" Alu called out.

"Alu, I can't go on!" Violet said, sounding worried. "It's like there's an invisible wall!"

"Don't panic, Violet." Aquarius said calmly. "That's the sign we've reached the Valley of Gates. Only Celestial Wizards and Spirits can enter here. I'm sorry, but you're going to have to wait out here."

Violet frowned and lowered her head.

"Don't worry, Violet." Alu smiled reassuringly. "I promise we won't be long. You just wait here for us, okay?"

"Okay," Violet nodded her head slowly.

"Aries, can you walk?" Alu asked the Celestial Spirit.

"Y-Yes." Aries replied weakly. "Let's get moving."

Slowly and carefully, the group of three walked further into the Valley. After about five minutes, they came to a stop at the top of a hill. Alu looked down at the landscape before her and breathed in awe.

The Valley of Gates was covered in mist that looked as if it sparkled like stardust. Trees and bushes of the purest green grew around in a circular formation, leaving a single clear path that lead into the center of the Valley below. In the middle of it all was something that looked like a large, round diamond fire pit. Burning inside of it was a large flame of the purest white.

"This is it." Aquiarus breathed heavily. "That is the forge used to create the Celestial Keys."

"Our journey's almost complete." Alu exhaled. "All we have to do now is re-forge your key, and you and Aries can return to the Celestial World. C'mon, let's get moving."

* * *

 _Back in the Forest…_

Meanwhile; Lucy, Happy, Grey, Erza, Gajeel, Wendy, Carla, and Romeo were all making it back to Magnolia as fast as they could. They had so much on their minds right now that they couldn't think about much except for the situation at hand. All they could focus on right now was getting back to Fairy Tail and warning Master Makarov about Ivan and figuring out how they were going to save Natsu and Alu. And they had to do it fast.

"Oh, I hope they'll be okay." Wendy said worriedly.

"Don't worry, Wendy." Romeo replied, trying to sound reassuring. "Natsu's tough. He'll get Alu back safe and sound. And he'll get out of Ivan's grasp no problem."

"Yeah, I know that." Wendy frowned. "But I can't help but worry."

"Let's just get back to Fairy Tail as soon as possible." Erza commanded. "The sooner we get help the better."

"Right." Lucy nodded.

Suddenly, Carla stopped flying and gasped in horror. This caused everyone else to stop running and look back at her. They recognized the look on her face at once. She looked like she was partly removed from reality for a moment.

Carla was having a premonition.

When it was over, Carla took in a deep breath of air and shuddered. She then hugged herself and shivered uncontrollably. Wendy ran over to her Exceed and gently grabbed hold of her. She then cradled her in her arms.

"What's wrong, Carla?" Wendy asked tenderly. "What did you see?"

Carla took in a few deep breaths before swallowing the lump in her throat.

"It's a trap," she whispered fearfully. "I saw Alu, I know where she really is."

"Wait, what does that mean?!" Lucy asked quickly.

"Alu's not captured by Ivan." Carla replied. "She's in a valley a few miles east of here."

"What?" Gajeel said, his eyes widening. "So she wasn't captured by Ivan? Then how did have a piece of her vest?"

"I'm guessing he must've gotten it during his fight with her last night." Grey deduced. "And looks like Rogue didn't know about that either."

"But wait!" Happy suddenly interjected. "If Alu's not captured, then what about Natsu?!"

Carla looked down, her paws trembling.

"He's walking right into a trap," she said in a weak voice. "I also saw…I saw Alu fighting Ivan and his Spirits. Natsu…he was chained up and shouting out in anguish."

"No!" Lucy gasped, bringing her hands to her mouth.

"We gotta stop Alu!" Happy shouted in distress. "You said she was a few miles east of here!"

"Yes, but…"

Before Carla could finish that sentence, Happy was off like a shot. He had activated his Aera Wings and took off at Mach Speed. In the blink of an eye, he was gone.

"Happy, wait!" Lucy cried out in vain. She knew Happy was too far away to hear her now.

A few seconds after that, Lucy noticed that Carla was starting to cry.

"Carla, what's wrong?!" Lucy asked fearfully. "What else did you see?!"

Carla took a deep breath and looked up at Lucy with a glint of dread in her eyes.

"I saw…" she hesitated, her voice full of fear. "I saw Alu. She was crying. And then…I saw her…she was crying over Natsu's lifeless body."

Everyone froze and shock at Carla's news. If there was one thing they knew about Carla's visions, it was they were mostly true. If she had seen what was going to happen in the future, then there as high that it was going to happen.

Lucy turned very pale, and horror filled her eyes. Her heart began to beat fast with sickening worry, and her hands trembled. She looked northeastward, the direction she had last seen Natsu run off in. She struggled to breathe and hold back the tears that were forming in her eyes. To think that her husband and daughter were both in potential danger, and she wasn't there to help them. If she had only gone with Natsu. She could've been able to help him and save Alu.

But there was nothing she could do now. Nothing except get back to Fairy Tail and get reinforcements.

Now was not the time to be weak. She had to do what she could to save her family.

Lucy let out a deep breath of air and turned back to the others. The look on her face was a mixture of fright and determination.

"We have to get back to the guild and fast!" she demanded. "More than one life is at stake here!"

The others didn't even stop to argue. Everyone set out in a dead sprint through the forest. They had to get to a nearby town and take a train back to Magnolia. It was the only thing they could do right now.

As they ran, only one thought passed through Lucy's mind.

 _"Natsu, Alu, please just come back safe and sound! Please don't let that premonition come true! Just come back to me!"_


	24. Chapter 24: A Key Re-Forged

**Chapter 24**

 **A Key Re-Forged**

 _In the Valley of Gates…_

After they had taken the path down the hill, Alu, Aquarius, and Aries all stopped in front of the diamond fire pit, with the brilliant white flame blazing around inside it. For a while, Alu stared up at it with amazement. It was unlike any fire that she had seen before. It almost felt as if it was made up of a different kind of fire than the one Alu was accustomed to. She could feel the powerful heat coming off of it, but it didn't feel like it was threatening to melt her skin off.

At the same time, though she couldn't quite explain it, the fire felt familiar to her. Like it was something from a distant dream.

She then looked down to study the fire pit. Now that she was closer, she could see that it was made of fourteen blocks circling around the white fire. On each block was a carved symbol of the Zodiac: Leo, Aquarius, Aries, Virgo, Cancer, Gemini, Taurus, Capricorn, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Libra, Pisces and Ophiuchus. Each of the twelve Zodiacs had their symbols engraved with gold, while Ophiuchus's symbol was engraved with onyx.

But the fourteenth symbol, the one that was engraved with another layer of green diamond, was one that Alu had never seen before. It looked something like the letter "T" attached to the letter "D".

Feeling mysteriously drawn to it, Alu walked over to it, knelt down, and placed her hand on the symbol.

"That's Draco's symbol." Aquarius explained, sensing Alu's curiosity.

"So he has his own insignia?" Alu questioned.

"Of course he does." Aquarius replied. "Ever Spirit who has a Celestial Key has their own insignia."

"Hold on," Alu turned around quickly. "You're saying Draco had his own key?"

Aquarius nodded.

"But just like with the Celestial Spirit King," the Water Spirit went on to explain," Draco couldn't be summoned through normal means."

Alu frowned and reached into key pouch around her waist. She pulled out Aquarius's broken key and stood up. She turned back to the two Celestial Spirits.

"I know that a Zodiac Key needs to be broken to summon the Spirit King," Alu explained, "but how was Draco summoned?"

"Draco had his own key." Aries said softly. "But only the combined power of Celestial and Dragon Slayer Magic could summon him. And the only one with that power was the Celestial Dragon Slayer. She was the only one who could summon him. No other Celestial Wizard could do that. But just like with all of us Zodiac Spirits, Draco could open his own gate if he had to."

"But he could only be summoned by the Celestial Dragon Slayer." Alu said, looking down. "Well, I guess that's better than having to break all Zodiac Keys."

Aquarius and Aries both nodded.

"Speaking of which," Alu went on, "we better get your key repaired, Aquarius."

"Right." Aquarius replied. "First, you need to get a piece of gold from the chest over there."

Alu followed the direction Aquarius was pointing and saw a large bronze chest just a few feet from her right. Alu walked over to it and opened the lid. Her eyes widened in mild surprise when she saw that the chest contained rectangular pieces of gold and silver. Some were as large as cucumbers, while others were as small as Alu's pinky. Alu reached in a pulled out a piece of gold that was about as long as her index finger.

"Will this be enough?" she asked, showing it to Aquarius.

"That should do." Aquarius replied. "Now we must place that along with my key hilt on the block with my symbol."

Alu obeyed. As soon as she located the block with Aquarius's symbol on it, she placed the broken key and piece of gold together so that they looked vaguely like one key. She then stepped back so that she and Aquarius were standing side-by-side.

"What now?" Alu asked.

"We must combine our power together and recite an incantation." Aquarius replied. "But we must be in perfect sync to do this. That means we must have complete faith in each other. Are you willing to do that?"

"Only if you are." Alu grinned.

"Then let's do it."

Taking a deep breath, Alu stretched out her right arm until the palm of her left hand made contacted with Aquarius's left one. Alu then closed her eyes and focused all her magic and thoughts into performing this task. She forced herself not to fret over whether she had enough Celestial Magic for this. She couldn't think about this.

This was going to take all of her Magic.

Not wanting to be in the way, Aries backed a safe distance away and watched the events unfold before her.

As Alu and Aquarius's Magic became harmonized, a blue and Magic Circle appeared underneath the two of them. A mysterious wind swirled up underneath them, ruffling their hair and clothing. At the same time, the white fire blazed even brighter and seemed to zero in on the broken key resting on the block below.

Then Aquarius began to recite an incitation, and Alu repeated after her.

 _"O Starfire of the Heaven's Light,_

 _Restore the strength of body and spirit_

 _Repair what has been broken_

 _Re-forge what has been shattered_

 _Rekindle the bond of trust_

 _Open the Gate_

 _Now once again!"_

As soon as Alu finished the incantation, she felt a surge of power rush from her. She winced and groaned as it took her by surprise, but she refused to break her concentration. She could feel Aquarius giving it all she had, so she had to do the same.

As the Celestial Wizard and Spirit unleashed their power, the block with Aquarius's symbol on it began to glow a water-blue brilliance. At the same time, the white fire whipped up into the sky for a moment before, and then shot down onto the key and piece of gold.

Aries watched all this though shielded eyes. The light was so intense that she was almost blinded by the first burst of fire. But her curiosity forced her to at least look as best she could. Everything she saw next left her in complete and utter shock.

For a moment, Aquarius's Key and the piece of gold next to it began to tremble and move closer together. Alu could feel it. They were on the verge of merging together.

Was it possible, was she really going to pull it off? It looked like it.

She just might do this!

But then a wave of exhaustion hit Alu like a rock to the head. It came on so hard and fast that she almost fell over. She knew this sensation all to well. She had felt it many times before.

She was almost out of Celestial Magic already.

No! She couldn't be out of power now! Not now! Not when she was so close! The Key was almost re-forged! She wasn't going to let her Magic Deficiency hold her back this time!

She was GOING to re-forge Aquarius's key!

Alu forced herself to stand up tall. But the pain of losing so much Magic Power was becoming too great. She let out a cry of agony as she tried to syphon as much of her Celestial Magic as she could. When she felt herself nearly out of Celestial Magic, she resorted to converting her Dragon Slayer Magic.

Aquarius felt it, too. She felt that Alu was running out of Magic fast. Worst of all, she was beginning to forcibly change her Dragon Slayer Magic into Celestial Magic.

"ALU, STOP!" Aquarius shouted. "YOU'RE GOING TO KILL YOURSELF IF YOU KEEP THIS UP! JUST STOP!"

"NO!" Alu cried, sweat beginning to drip down her face. "I WON'T STOP 'TILL YOUR KEY'S REPAIRED!"

"IT'S TOO DANGEROUS! STOP IT, ALU! IF YOU DON'T, YOU'LL DEPLETE YOUR LIFE FORCE!"

"IF THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES, SO BE IT!"

"ALU…!"

"I MADE A PROMISE TO YOU AND MY MOM AND I'M NOT GOING TO BREAK IT! I DIDN'T COME ALL THIS WAY TO QUIT! I WON'T LET MY STUPID DEFICIENCY STOP ME ANYMORE! I'M GOING TO KEEP MY PROMISE!"

Aquarius opened one eye and looked over at Alu. The girl was on the verge of passing out. Aquarius could clearly see that Alu was doing all she could to keep herself from falling over, but she was getting weaker by the second. This was too much for her.

Aquarius then looked over her key. It was wavering between being completely forged to falling apart again. It was like it was a representation of what Alu was going through. She was wavering between giving up all of her Magic, and her life.

There had to be something Aquarius could do, but she was almost out of power, too. What could she do?

Aquarius flinched and looked down at the right side of her skirt. As she did, something underneath it began to glow white, just like it did back in the forest when they fought Ivan. Aquarius looked surprised for a brief second. Then, she gave a determined expression and looked back at the white flames whipping wildly around her key.

"OKAY, DIMWIT!" she yelled to Alu. "YOU LEFT ME WITH NO CHOICE! BRACE YOURSELF!"

Before Alu could ask what Aquarius meant by that, the white light under Aquarius's skirt shot a stream of light up through the Spirit's body. It raced across her arm until it reaches Alu's hand. The moment it did, Alu's eyes snapped open for a moment when she felt a jolt of power. She then shut her eyes again and lifted her head to scream and agony towards the sky. Just like before, it felt like white-hot fire had entered her bloodstream and was coursing through her.

Only this time it felt worse. Now she felt like a large streak of the bangs in her hair has been set ablaze. She also felt like her right eye had just been shot with a flaming arrow.

But at the same time, as that white light made its way into her heart, she felt a strange rush of power surge through the rest of her body. She glowed as brightly as a star for a second or two. Then, with a cry of determination, Alu unleashed that power and channeled all of it directly at Aquarius's Key.

The Key shimmered for a second before the hilt and piece of gold collided together. In a flash of light, the white fire blazing around it worked the rest of the magic and fused the two pieces together.

Finally, the fire lowered the Key back onto the block and drifted back into the fire pit. At the same time, the Magic Circle around Alu and Aquarius disappeared and they lowered their arms, panting heavily for air.

Alu brought her right hand up to her aching eye and clutched at it. It hurt horribly, but there was no sign of any injury to her eye at all. Still, she couldn't bring herself to open it yet. Not only that, but she felt like her bangs was on fire. She used her left hand to feel around for any signs of flames, but all she felt was her soft hair, nothing more. But that sure didn't stop the pain.

Alu then opened her left eye and looked over at Aquarius. The Water Spirit had dropped to the ground and was gasping for air.

"Aquarius," Alu said in a weak voice, "are you okay?"

Aquarius didn't respond. Instead, she lifted her right hand and pointed over to the fire pit. Alu followed the direction of her finger…

…and her left eye widened in surprise.

There, resting on the block with the Water Barrier's seal and sparkling brightly, was the repaired key of Aquarius.

Exhausted and fatigued, Alu slowly limped over to the fire pit. When she got there, she removed her right hand from her eye and took the key off of the block. She smiled happily and some tears welled up in her eyes as she stared at the re-forged key. At this point, she felt like she was going to burst with joy.

She had done it. She had actually done it. She had succeeded in repairing Aquarius's key. For once, she had succeeded at something.

 _"Oh, I can't wait to see the look on Mom's face when she sees this,"_ she thought to herself, holding the key close to her heart. _"She's going to be so happy. And now, Aries and Aquarius can…"_

At that moment, Alu's world started to go out of focus. Her drain of Magic Power suddenly caught up with her and she staggered, gripping her head in pain. She groaned and swayed for a moment before her legs buckled out from under her, and she fell to the ground.

The last thing Alu remembered was the sounds of Aries and Aquarius calling out her name in distress. After that, nothing but darkness, silence, and stillness.

* * *

 _Meanwhile…_

Natsu slowed down and came to a stop. He had been running almost non-stop for about four hours. When he wasn't running, he was walking at a very quick pace until he got his breath back. He was just glad that he had the endurance of a Dragon in his body, or else he would've had a rougher time. Fortunately, near-endless strength and stamina were some of the advantages of being a Dragon Slayer.

It was well past midday when he had reached his location. By now, sweat was rolling of his body, his limbs were shaking slightly, he was panting heavily for precious air, and his heart was pounding so hard that he could feel and see his chest thumping up and down. But it was all worth it to him right now.

He had reached Sacred Mount Zonia.

"I made it," he breathed heavily. "Now I just need to find a way in."

Taking in one last gulp of air, Natsu ran off to find an entrance into the mountain. At least now he didn't have to worry about not getting to this place on time. He just had to focus on he next priority.

And that was rescuing his daughter.

 _"Just hang on, Alu,"_ he thought to himself. _"I'm almost there. I promise I will save you."_


	25. Chapter 25: Changes

**Chapter 25**

 **Changes**

 _Outside the Valley of Gates…_

"Alu. Are you okay? Wake up."

A small voiced echoed in Alu's head as she started to come back around. She soon became aware that she was resting up against something hard and rough. She winced and groaned as she struggled to open her eyes. She slowly brought her hand up to cover her right eye as she opened her left one a little. Her right eye felt like it was burning, her head was throbbing, and her whole body felt stiff and raw.

"Are you alright, Alu?"

Alu looked over to her left and saw Violet was standing next to her, her little paws caringly on Alu's arm.

"Violet." Alu groaned. "I…I think so. Just a little sore. Where are Aries and Aquarius?"

"They brought you out here and returned to the Celestial World." Violet explained. "Since you repaired Aquarius's key, they decided to go back to restore their life forces."

Alu blinked for a moment. She then looked over at her left hand and saw that it was clutching something. She brought it up and uncurled her fingers. Resting in the palm of her hand was the Aquarius's Key; fully repaired and glittering gold once again.

"Oh, that's right." Alu exhaled and smiled. "Well, I'm just glad those two are okay now."

Alu struggled to sit up. She looked back behind her and saw the large rock she had been resting up against. She rubbed her eye tenderly, trying to make the burning sensation go away. After a while, it faded slowly and she opened her right eye. Much to her relief, she found that she could still see out of it.

"Oh good," she exhaled in relief. "For a second I thought I was blind in this eye."

It was then that Violet made a small gasp and covered her mouth with her paws. She looked up at Alu with wide, horrified eyes.

"What's wrong?" Alu asked.

"Uh, Alu, what color are your eyes?" Violet asked shakily.

"Green." Alu answered, raising an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Um, you might want to look at yourself."

Violet pointed with her right paw over to a pool of water that was just a few feet away. Alu made a curious face before getting up and walking over to it. She then knelt down and looked into the water.

She shrieked when she saw her reflection.

While Alu's left eye was still dark green like before, her right eye had turned to a bright cyan color. Not only that, but the pupil in that eye was now a slit, almost like a cat's eye. There was a large streak of emerald green in Alu's bangs.

Alu ran her fingers through her bangs and touched the lower part of her right eye, completely shocked and freaked.

When did this happen?

"Wha-Wha-Wha-Wha!" Alu stammered, unable to get out the words.

"Alu, are you okay?" Violet asked, unsure of what else to say.

"Am I OKAY?!" Alu screeched as she whipped around to the little Exceed. "Do I LOOK okay to you?! My hair's two different colors and my eye looks like it belongs to a Dragon!"

Violet stepped back and looked up at Alu fearfully. Alu noticed her reaction and blinked when she realized what she just did. She glanced away guiltily and rubbed her arm.

"I-I'm sorry, Violet, I didn't mean to snap." Alu said unsteadily. "I'm just really freaked out right now. How did this happen?"

"I don't know." Violet replied. "You just had the streak of green in your hair when Aquarius carried you out."

At the mention of that Spirit's name, Alu suddenly remembered something. Aquarius had given her a mysterious boost of power when they were re-forging her key. When that happened, Alu felt like her hair and eye were suddenly on fire. It was a very similar sensation to the one she felt just before her fire changed from orange to white back in the forest.

"Just what did Aquarius do to me?" Alu moaned, rubbing her eyes with one hand. "First my fire turns white and now this. What's going on with me?"

Violet just shrugged.

"Oh, never mind." Alu said. "I'm sure we can sort it out once we get back to Fairy Tail."

""We"?" Violet looked up at Alu suddenly.

"Yeah." Alu replied, giving and encouraging smile. "Why don't you come back to Fairy Tail with me? I know everyone will welcome you into the guild. After all, every member is considered family, and Gramps would never turn down anyone without a home."

Alu then inhaled deeply and her eyes widened. She quickly put Aquarius's Key inside her key pouch and stood up.

"Speaking of family, I gotta to save mine!" she exclaimed. "Now that Aquarius's Key is repaired, I gotta get back to Dad and Mom!"

Violet nodded in response and summoned her Aera Wings. She then flew over to Alu and grabbed her by her vest. She then carried Alu up into the sky, causing the human to shriek a little in surprise.

"We'll be a lot faster if we travel by air." Violet explained. "Don't worry, I won't drop you."

"Sure thing." Alu nodded. "Fairy Tail's that way."

Alu pointed westward. Violet acknowledge the direction and began to fly off in that direction. Normally, Alu would've enjoyed the thrill of flying through the sky. She would've laughed and hooted with excitement of feeling the wind blow through her hair, the feeling of being weightless and unbound by the gravity of the world, and the sensation of freedom.

However, she had more important things on her mind to even think about that. The only thing she could think of was getting back to her parents as fast as she could.

Alu and Violet hadn't gone more than a mile when they heard a screech come from right in front of them.

"ALU!"

Alu looked straight ahead and saw a little dot in the distance growing larger by each second. She quickly realized that it was heading straight for her and Violet. As it got closer, it began to take on the form of a little blue exceed.

"Wait, Happy?!" Alu yelped.

Sure enough, Happy was coming towards her at Mach Speed. And he couldn't seem to slow himself down in time. He was heading straight for Alu's face.

Both Alu and Happy screamed for a split second before Happy collided head-on with her. The sudden jolt nearly made Violet drop Alu, but she still managed to hang on tightly. She did lower her altitude a bit though before stopping to hover in mid-air.

Alu groaned and grabbed Happy by his little body and pulled him off her face. She then shut her eyes and shook her head, trying to make her brain stop swimming. Once she had gotten her senses back, she opened her eyes and looked at the little Exceed in her hands.

"Happy, what are you doing here?" she asked. "And where's Dad?"

Happy looked dazed for a moment. From his perspective, he was seeing stars along with two blurred images of Alu.

"Wow, Alu," he slurred with dizziness, "when did you suddenly become twins?"

"Oh, get a hold of yourself, Happy." Alu encouraged gruffly. "Where's Dad?"

Happy blinked a few times and looked at Alu. His eyes then widened with shock and he screamed in terror. He shot out of Alu's hands and hovered above her, looking down at her with a horrified expression.

"AUGH!" he screeched. "WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR FACE?!"

Alu frowned and her eyes glazed over with annoyance

"Get a grip, Happy," she said sharply. "I don't know how this happened. But I don't have time to explain either. What are you doing here? And where's Dad? Shouldn't he be with you?"

At the mention of Natsu, Happy's expression changed to even more worry.

"Natsu!" he cried. "He's in danger!"

"What?!" Alu's eyes widened in terror.

"Ivan tricked him!" Happy explained franticly. "He sent a ransom note saying that he was going to kill you if Natsu didn't come to Mount Zonia alone and by sunset! But it was all a trap! After Natsu ran off to save you, Carla had a premonition and found out that you were really here! I came to get you and bring you back because Carla saw you fighting off Ivan because you somehow found out about Natsu being captured!"

Alu stared in horror. Her blood felt like it had turned to ice, and her heart clenched inside her chest. Her throat tightened and she seemed to have a hard time breathing.

Her father was in danger, and it was because he was trying to rescue her. It was because of her he was walking into a trap. It was because of HER Ivan was going to take her father's soul for himself.

"No," she whispered fearfully, "I can't let that happen."

"Alu?" Violet looked at her friend with concern.

There was a short silence.

"I have to help him." Alu finally said. "I have to help my dad."

"But Alu, you can't!" Happy replied stressfully. "You're not strong enough to take him on! Carla said that she saw Natsu chained up and shouting in distress!"

That piece of information made Alu flinch and inhale shakily.

"I can't!" she shouted defiantly. "I can't leave him! I won't run away! I'll do whatever it takes to save my dad! And you can't stop me!"

"But Alu-!"

"You told me where to find him!" Alu scowled. "So I'm going!"

Happy's jaw dropped and he gave an alarmed expression.

He DID just tell her where to find Natsu! That's why Carla saw her fighting Ivan! This was his fault!

"OH CRAP!" Happy shrieked.

"Now I just need to know where to find Mount Zonia." Alu said.

"Mount Zonia?" Violet questioned.

"Yeah, do you know where it is, Violet?" Alu asked eagerly.

"Yes, I do." Violet replied. "I'm actually from there."

"What?!" Both Alu and Happy jolted.

"I was born and raised near Mount Zonia." Violet explained. "I lived with a bunch of other Exceeds and a few humans who lived in a village at the base of the mountain. But one day, we were attacked by Ivan and his Spirits. They scattered us. I flying for my life when you found me, Alu."

"Really?" Alu blinked. "Can you take me there?"

"Are you sure?" Violet said.

Alu nodded in response.

"Okay then." Violet answered. "It's not to far from here. We should be there by sunset."

"Wait!" Happy shouted. "I can't let you go alone!"

"Don't try to stop me, Happy!" Alu snapped. "I have to save my dad!"

Happy narrowed his eyes.

"Okay, fine," he said in a serious voice. "But I'm going with you. I promised Natsu and Lucy and bring you back safely. So if you're going, then I'm going with you."

Alu stared at Happy for a brief second. She then narrowed her eyebrows and nodded.

"Fine," she said. "Let's get moving. We don't have much time. Violet, we'll let you lead the way."

"Leave it to me." Violet replied.

With that, Violet adjusted her direction north by northwest and flew off with Alu as fast as she could. Happy flew alongside them. Fortunately for the group, the wind current was helping them with their speed. It was blowing in the direction they wanted to go. It looked like luck was on their side for now.

The whole time they flew, Alu had a determined look on her face. The thought of Ivan using her as a trick to get her father's soul made her both sick with worry, and blazing with anger. How dare he abuse Natsu's protective instincts to lure him into a trap. If that man so much as lays a finger on her father, Alu swore to herself that she would burn Ivan into a pile of ashes.

 _"Hang on, Dad!"_ she thought to herself. _"I'm coming to save you!"_

* * *

 _A few hours later, at Mount Zonia…_

"Finally." Natsu exhaled. "I found an entrance."

At around the last hour before sunset, Natsu had managed to climb up the mountain and find an opening. It was a cave that led down into the mountain. It was a bit of a narrow fit, so Natsu had to squeeze through the opening. It took him about five minutes to get through. Although for him, it felt like fifteen minutes. Once he was inside, he stopped for a moment to catch his breath.

It was then that Natsu felt something sinister. It was such an ominous feeling that it made him shudder and wrap his arms around himself. He couldn't quite explain it, but something about this sensation felt eerily familiar. Like something he had felt before, but it was so long ago that he almost forgot about it. Not to mention, there was a stench that hit his nose with a deadly familiarity. But he just couldn't remember from where.

But this feeling made Natsu feel very, very sick.

"Man," he shivered, "I haven't felt something this evil for a while. But it feels like its from something that's long gone. Whatever it was, it certainly left its stain here."

Natsu then shook his head and cleared his mind. He couldn't think about that right now.

"I have to find Alu," he said, clenching his fists. "But I can't catch her sent because of this air. It's like its poisoned with only one scent. I guess I'll just have to find her on my own then."

Natsu then straightened himself up and turned around. He began to walk down a tunnel in front of him, keeping his senses on high alert for any signs of Alu. Eventually, the tunnel led him to a large cavern that was about the size of the Fairy Tail Guild hall. There wasn't much in it expect for a large slap of stone with a circular kind of alter on it. It rested in the far corner of the cave. All around walls were torches that were lit with fire.

Natsu stopped at the entrance of the tunnel and scowled. For just a few yards in front of him, looking at him with a villainous grin, was Ivan.

"Natsu Dragneel of Fairy Tail." Ivan said malevolently. "So you came after all."

"Shut your face, Ivan!" Natsu glared. "I didn't come here to have a chat; I came to get my daughter back! Now where is she?!"

Ivan just grinned and reached for something underneath his cloak.

"You mean the little pipsqueak?" he drawled maliciously. "Oh, so sorry, but she's not here."

"What?!"

"That was just an incentive to get you here." Ivan continued. "And it looks like you've fallen for it."

Natsu scowled even harder and snarled. He clenched his fists and summoned his Dragon Slayer Magic. He then charged forward in an attempt punch Ivan's face in.

"WHERE'S ALU?!" Natsu roared.

Ivan just smiled wickedly and swiped a red key out from underneath his cloak. Before Natsu knew what was happening, his fist collided with an arm that was clad in gold armor. He was then forced to leap back and avoid a punch that was backed up with a black fire substance. Natsu landed on his feet and looked up to see a corrupted version of Leo standing in front of him.

"Neo Leo," Ivan ordered, "beat this Dragon Slayer into submission. But keep him alive, I need his soul to complete my plans."

"As you wish, master." Neo Leo replied.

"Bring it on!" Natsu shouted.

With that, Natsu and Neo Leo both charged towards each other.


	26. Chapter 26: Ensnared

**Chapter 26**

 **Ensnared**

"FIRE DRAGON IRON FIST!" Natsu bellowed.

"PITCH BLACK HAMMER!" Neo Leo yelled.

Natsu and Neo Leo's attacks collided together in an explosion of red and black fire. The impact it gave off forced both the Dragon Slayer and Dark Zodiac Spirit to leap backwards and away from its explosion. Natsu immediately lit fire around his feet and darted towards Neo Leo again. The Dark Lion Spirit mimicked Natsu and lit his Dark Regulus around his own feet. The two both jumped and attempted to kick the other in the face. This only lead to their attacks colliding again. Once again, the impact sent them backwards as it exploded.

Needing to come up with a plan, Natsu landed on his feet and began to run around the interior of the cave, his eyes solely focused on Neo Leo as the Dark Spirit attempted to attack him. Natsu knew from past experience that it was dangerous to stand still in the middle of a fight, especially if he wasn't fighting his opponent. He had to keep moving and come up with a plan to stop this guy.

As he thought of this, Natsu felt his stomach growls and clench. This was a reminder that he had been on his feet almost all day and hadn't eaten anything. He had to get some food or fire in him soon. Fortunately, there were torches of fire all around the room. As he ran past one, he jumped up and snatched it off its stand in the wall. He then shoved the thing into his mouth and swallowed the flame. It might not have been much, but Natsu could feel his power coming back as the fire slithered down his throat and into his stomach.

"Oh yeah," he said as he tossed the stick aside, "now I've got a fire in my belly. Time to get back in the fray."

Natsu slid to a stop before darting towards Neo Leo again. He jumped up and made it look like he was going to hit Neo Leo again. Neo Leo jumped up and prepared himself to meet Natsu's attack. However, at the last minute, Natsu grabbed hold of Neo Leo's arm as the Dark Spirit attempted to punch him. The Dragon Slayer then hoisted himself up above Neo Leo and kicked the Dark Spirit down to the ground, where he crashed with a loud "BOOM".

Seeing his chance, Natsu turned his attention to Ivan. Lighting up fire around his fist, he shot straight downwards toward the wicked man.

"WHERE'S ALU, IVAN?!" Natsu shouted. "TELL ME!"

Ivan just grinned maliciously. Instead, he responded by sending out a black tentacle straight towards Natsu.

Natsu saw the attack coming and managed to twist his body so that it narrowly missed his chest. He then tumbled through the air and landed on his feet, just a few yards away from Ivan.

"You still worried about that little half-wizard?" Ivan taunted. "You should be more concerned about yourself. Especially since you're about to be outnumbered."

Ivan pulled another red key off of his key chain.

"Open, Gate of the Dark Bull!" he commanded. "Taurus!"

Natsu gasped when a Neo version of Taurus appeared before his eyes.

"Taurus, take down this Dragon Slayer." Ivan commanded. "But keep him alive."

"As you wish, Master." Neo Taurus replied obediently.

As Neo Taurus charged at Natsu, the Dragon Slayer leapt out of the way, flipping over onto his hands. He then hand-sprung himself up into the air and took in a deep breath.

"FIRE DRAGON ROAR!" Natsu shouted.

A stream of intense flames shot from Natsu's mouth and hit Neo Taurus. For a moment, Natsu grinned when he saw his flames wrap around the Dark Spirit. However, his face soon changed to concern when his flames suddenly burst apart and faded. Neo Taurus had somehow summoned a small version of the real Taurus's axe and had cut through Natsu's fire like it was nothing more than butter.

"Pretty impressive, Dragon Slayer." Neo Taurus said condescendingly. "But I'm afraid it'll take more than that to incinerate me."

Neo Taurus rushed at Natsu again. Natsu bent over backwards as that axe swung directly over his face, just barely missing his nose. He then tumbled to the left jumped back up onto his feet.

By this time, Neo Leo had recovered from his face-plant to the ground and was up again. Enraged with being injured in battle, he summoned Dark Regulus to both of his fists and charged towards Natsu.

"You're mine, Dragneel!"

Natsu glanced over to his right and saw Neo Leo approaching him. He then glanced to his left and saw Neo Taurus charging at him, too. Thinking quickly, he waited for just the right moment, when both Dark Spirits were about to strike him. At the very last second, Natsu jumped up and out of the way. Neo Leo and Neo Taurus couldn't stop themselves in time. They collided head on with a loud "BANG" and fell to the ground. Neo Leo moaned and cursed as he rubbed the aching bruise on his head. Neo Taurus just laid down on the ground, dazed and dizzy from the impact.

"Too easy." Natsu snarled.

Ivan gritted his teeth as he watched all of this. By now he could see that he wasn't going to capture his prey with brute force. It was a form of combat that the Dragon Slayer was accustomed to. He would have to use trickery.

And for Ivan, trickery was something he was an expert at.

Ivan grabbed four keys off of his belt. Natsu turned back to face him, and was shocked to find three more Neo Zodiac Spirits appear out of their own gates. The Spirits were of Virgo, Libra, Aries, and Ophiuchus. And just like with the other Neo Spirits, they looked drastically different from the real Zodiac Spirits.

Neo Aries's skin was tan, her hair was straight and longer, and she wore a tattered wool dress with a large chain around her neck. Neo Libra's hair was green and puffed up like cotton candy. She was dressed in a black, skin tight suit with a matching blind fold, and she had on pointed gold boots.

 _"Ivan can pull off six gates at once?!"_ Natsu thought to himself with alarm. _"Not even Lucy can do that! Where's he getting all this power?!"_

"My faithful servants," Ivan said to his Spirits, "Subdue the Dragon Slayer at once."

"Sure thing, Master." Neo Aries sneered. "This'll be fun."

"I've been waiting to dish out some punishment." Neo Virgo said, licking her lips.

All at once, the four newly summoned Spirits charged at Natsu.

"Holy crap!" was all Natsu could say before they attacked.

Natsu only barely managed to avoid being kicked in the chest by Neo Libra, but he almost fell into Neo Virgo's trap because of that dodge. Neo Virgo summoned her whip and attempted to capture him in it's grip. Luckily, Natsu was able to dodge it in midair by bending his body back. However, the moment he landed back on the ground with his hands and sprung himself back onto his feet, Neo Ophiuchus sent out a plethora of stethoscopes and tried to entangle him in them. Natsu, seeing that he couldn't dodge them all in time, lit his whole body up in a blaze of Dragon fire to create a shield around himself.

However, Neo Aries ran around behind Natsu while his attention was focused on Neo Ophiuchus. She took the chain off her neck and threw like a lasso at Natsu.

The next thing Natsu knew, a metal clasp snapped around his neck and yank him back, causing him to choke. With his concentration disrupted, his fiery aura disappeared. He grunted in pain as his body made contact with the rock ground. He quickly reached up and attempted to melt the chain off with his magic when a set of cuffs and chains suddenly appeared around his wrists and ankles, forcing him to spread out flat on his back in an X-shaped position. Natsu looked over and scowled when he saw that Neo Virgo had a set of glowing cuffs in her hands. They matched the ones that had him chained up.

"These chains can't hold me!" Natsu shouted defiantly.

Natsu growled and summoned forth his Dragon Slayer Magic to melt the chains…

…and then all the strength went out of him in an instant.

He went limp with shock, pain, and fear.

Neo Ophiuchus had summoned her syringe as Neo Aries and Neo Virgo chained the Dragon Slayer up. It was filled with some kind of dark purple liquid. The moment Natsu was flat on his back, and just as he was about to set himself on fire again, Neo Ophiuchus stabbed the needle of the syringe into Natsu's belly. It pierced through his jacket and straight into his navel.

Natsu couldn't move. He could hardly breathe. This had caught him by surprise so bad that his mind shut off for a moment.

"Sorry, about this," Neo Ophiuchus sneered, "but it's time for you to be put you under for now. This might hurt a little so try to stay conscious."

Neo Ophiuchus then pushed the end of the syringe down. Natsu screamed in agony as the purple liquid was being forcibly injected into his body. It was like a million icy needles were stabbing at him from everywhere inside him. His belly swelled and distended a little for a moment before Neo Ophiuchus pulled the needle out. His stomach returned to normal, but the pain that injection left behind didn't go away.

Natsu coughed and panted for air. His whole body felt heavy like lead, his limbs ached, his heart was thumping erratically fast, and his abdomen felt painfully stretched. His eyes had a glazed look in them, like he was almost dead. He didn't have the strength to summon his Magic. Whatever Neo Ophiuchus had injected into him had completely sapped him of his strength.

"Nicely done, my servants." Ivan said, clapping his hands together. "Now chain him up to that shrine."

Helpless and drained, Natsu was dragged across the ground and up to the alter. As much as he wanted to fight back, he just couldn't. That poison had worked its way into his system. He was paralyzed, weak, and unable to summon his Magic. All he could do was let these Dark Spirits tie him up inside the middle of that rock circle shrine.

In a matter of minutes, Natsu was chained up like the prisoner he was. He just hung with his arms and legs stretch to their limit in the shackles that were bound to the outer ring of the circle.

He was ensnared. Captured.

"Nicely done, everyone." Ivan said to his Spirits. "You're all dismissed now."

With a swipe of five keys, Ivan closed the gates of the Dark Zodiac Spirits. They all disappeared in a glitter of black and purple lights.

Ivan then turned his attention back to Natsu. He walked up to the Dragon Slayer with a wicked grin on his face. Now that his target had been capture and rendered powerless, he decided to take this moment to gloat.

"I finally got my hands on you," he said evilly. "Oh, what's wrong? Ophiuchus's poison getting to you? That must've really hurt. Not only does it numb your strength, but it also paralyzes your Magic. You should feel the way you do."

Natsu didn't respond. His bangs fell over his eyes and hid them with shadows.

"You know," Ivan continued, "I was planning on storming Fairy Tail and taking a Dragon Slayer by force. But it appeared that luck was on my side. Who would've guess that I would run into the daughter of a Dragon Slayer? All I had to do was snag a piece of her clothing and you came running without a moment of hesitation. It's laughable that you were so easily duped."

"Alu." Natsu finally said, his voice rough and weak.

Ivan stopped his gloated and raised and eyebrow.

"Alu." Natsu repeated, trying to raise his voice. "Where's…Alu? Tell me."

"You're still worried about that brat?" Ivan questioned, genuinely confused. "You're about to have your soul stolen and all you can think about is the little half-wizard? I don't understand why you care about that little misfortune anyway. She's hardly worth anything if you ask me."

Natsu gritted his teeth.

A little half-wizard like her didn't deserve to be in Fairy Tail or any other guild." Ivan said. "Wizards are only useful when they have power."

"Is that why you implanted a lacrima inside your own son?" Natsu spat savagely. "Just because Laxus was weak back then, didn't mean he was useless."

"You're one to talk." Ivan replied. "I bet you and that blonde wizard had a Dragon Slayer lacrima implanted in that half-wizard before she was even born."

"Never!" Natsu tensed, using all of his strength just to shout. "I would never do that to Alu! And neither would Lucy! The power Alu has is hers alone! It was in her blood ever since she was born!"

"So, you're perfectly content with having a dead-weight of a daughter?" Ivan sneered.

"Alu's not dead-weight!" Natsu shot back. "She was never dead-weight to me, or Lucy, or anyone else in Fairy Tail!"

"Of course," Ivan grinned mockingly, "because everyone Fairy Tail 'loves' their members no matter how pathetic they are. You know that keeping weak members in strong guild will only put you in peril. Just like now."

"How's that?" Nastus snarled. He was really getting annoyed at this point.

"C'mon," Ivan replied, "it's because of that little half-wizard that you're in this mess. You just couldn't abandon her even if you wanted to. Because Fairy Tail never leaves any of its members behind. And that's what's gotten ensnared in my trap."

There was a short silence.

"You shut your mouth." Natsu glowered. "I came after Alu because it was my choice. And I have no regrets."

Natsu found the strength to lift his head up. He stared Ivan straight in the eye. His face was full of determined sincerity.

"I never once saw Alu as a misfortune," he said. "And I defiantly never saw her as a commodity. She's one of a kind. She works hard. Puts her heart and soul into everything she does. She may not be strong in Magic, but she has the most powerful heart I've ever seen. So what if she has a Magic Deficiency? That makes no difference to me. I'm just happy to have her in my life. I wouldn't even care if she was born without Magic. Nothing could change the fact of how proud I am of her. I'm more than proud to call myself her father."

There was another long silence. Natsu didn't lift the conviction from his face for even a second. Not even the weariness from the poison made him lose that emotion of pride. He meant every word about what he said, and he was sticking to them. Nothing was going to change his mind.

Finally, Ivan gave a sneer.

"Well, aren't you sentimental," he said harshly. "But you're also delusional. And I've grown tired of this idle chat. Say good night, Dragon Slayer."

Natsu braced himself for what was to come as he watched Ivan leapt back and summon a black tentacle. He then released it, and it headed straight for Natsu's heart.

Just a few more seconds, and Natsu would be soulless.

However, before it made contact with Natsu's chest, something suddenly burst through the ceiling and shot straight down. White fire cut the tentacle in half just in the nick of time. The part that was severed away from the main body writhed for a moment like a dying snake before disappearing completely.

Ivan staggered back in surprise before looking back in time to see a pink and green haired girl land gracefully on her feet in front of the Fire Dragon Slayer. Natsu gasped in shock when he saw the person who saved him stand up, wipe away some tears from her face, and place herself protectively between him and Ivan.

"Alu!" Natsu exclaimed.

It was Alu. No doubt about that. But how did she come from?

"So, you're still alive." Ivan glared at the little female wizard. "Guess I shouldn't be too surprised, seeing as how stubborn you are. Though I must say, you're looking kind of different. You certainly didn't have that eye before."

Alu just scowled viciously at Ivan, ignoring his comment. It was clear to see that she was very, very angry.

"If you or your Spirits ever lay a hand on my dad again," she growled fiercely, "I'll kill you!"

"You really think you can take me on, half-wizard?" Ivan scorned. "I can easily destroy you with just a single move."

Alu took a firm fighting stance. She clearly showed she wasn't backing down.

"Hit me with your best shot!" she challenged. "I can take it! I won't let you steal my dad's soul!"

"Then let's see if you can stand up to this!" Ivan shouted.

Ivan took grabbed two keys off his belt and swiped them through the air.

"Open, Gates of the Dark Maiden and and Ram!" he commanded. "Virgo and Aries!"

In an instant, Neo Virgo and Aries appeared. Alu looked shocked for only a second when she saw Neo Virgo again, but she quickly gathered her wits and focused on the battle that was coming.

"Alu, no!" Natsu strained to yell. "Get out of here!"

"No way!" Alu retorted. "I didn't come all this way just to leave you behind! I can take these guys!"

"Heh," Neo Virgo grinned wickedly. "I'd like to see you try. Let's see how long you can hold out before you beg for mercy."

Alu narrowed her eyes.

"Bring it on!" she goaded. "I'm all fired up!"

Alu then leapt into the fight without a second thought.


	27. Chapter 27: A Desperate Attempt

**Chapter 27**

 **A Desperate Attempt**

"FIRE DRAGON WING ATTACK!" Alu shouted at the top of her voice. It was so loud that it echoed off the walls.

Instantly, whips of white flames came from Alu's hands. She swung her arms down and around, making the fire crisscross with powerful intensity.

Natsu watched with amazement. He had never seen such a pure white flame. Not only that, but something in it felt different. It felt like fire, but at the same time it didn't. It felt like some kind of alien fire. Since when did Alu gain this power?

Neo Virgo and Neo Aries both jumped away from Alu's attack. Neo Aries then tumbled behind Alu grabbed the chain around her neck. She then prepared to throw it at Alu.

Natsu saw it coming. It was the same attack that Neo Aries had used on him. They were going to try to do the same thing to her as they did to him. He couldn't let that happen, but there was nothing he could do. He was chained up.

Still, he had to do something.

Natsu was still feeling weak, but his concern for his daughter was greater than his fatigue. He fought threw it with all the willpower he had.

"Alu, behind you!" he managed to yell.

Alu's sensitive ears heard her father's voice and eyes flashed in alert. She whipped around in time to grab Neo Aries chain with her left hand. Neo Aries was caught off guard by this, which gave Alu the chance to yank the chain out from the Dark Spirit's hands.

"My turn." Alu snarled.

Alu whirled the chain around like a loop-less lasso for a second before throwing it straight at Neo Aries. The chain wrapped around the Dark Spirit tightly, and Alu took the opportunity to jerk on the binding hard, pulling Neo Aries down to the ground.

"Ow!" Neo Aries moaned. "Ugh, I'll admit, that was pretty badass."

Then in a flash of purple and black light, Neo Aries was gone.

Alu winced. She really didn't like that Aries at all. She preferred the sweet, helpful, polite Aries.

She then turned her attention to Neo Virgo. She tossed the end of the chain aside and put her fists up as she faced the Dark Maiden.

"Pretty impressive, little Dragneel." Neo Virgo said, licking her lips in a seductive fashion. "But do you really think you can take me on."

"I beat you once!" Alu shot back. "I'll just have to do it again!"

"Then let's have some fun. Only this time, I'll be the one enjoying it. 'Cause I'll be giving you a healthy dose of punishment."

"I don't think so!" Alu cried out furiously.

She then charged in for close-quarters combat. Neo Virgo summoned her lightning whip and lashed at Alu. Alu saw it coming and back flipped out of the way. She then hand-sprung back on her feet and darted forward again. This time, she was going to attack with some whips of her own.

"FIRE DRAGON WING ATTACK!"

Alu's attacked collided with Neo Virgo's. She was then forced to come to a stop and use her fire whips defense instead of offense like she had hoped. Because now, Neo Virgo was striking blows down on her hard and fast, trying to break through her guard.

Alu had to think. It was clear that this new Neo Virgo was stronger than the one she had taken down. She would have to rethink her strategy.

Meanwhile, Natsu was watching all this with concern. Alu had already used two Dragon Slayer techniques. He knew from past experience that if she used too much, Alu would be out of Dragon Slayer Magic. And she was already at her half-way point. And while he could start to feel his physical strength return with every passing minute, unless he could get out of his chains, there was nothing he could do.

Oh, he wished more than anything that he was free so that he could help her.

"Natsu!" a small voice called out.

Natsu looked up away from the fight and saw two Exceeds flying down from the busted hole in the ceiling towards him.

"Happy?" he said weakly.

Happy and Violet immediately flew over to the two chains that bound Natsu's wrists. Happy handled the one on Natsu's left, when Violet worked on the one on Natsu's right. They both began to tug and strain on the chains in attempt to get them off of the one they held captive.

"Happy, what are you doing here?" Natsu asked, wincing as the tug of the chains pulled his already-stretched-to-the-limit arms.

"I'm sorry, Natsu!" Happy said, desperately apologetic. "Alu was gung-ho on saving you! And you know her, I couldn't change her mind!"

"Wait, you brought her here?!"

"Actually, I did!" Violet admitted. "But Happy's right, she was bent on saving you!"

"Who are you?!" Natsu asked, thoroughly confused and distressed.

"I'm Violet!" the purple Exceed replied. "I'll explain more later! Right now let's get you out of here!"

"That's not going to happen," a sinister voice said.

Natsu, Happy, and Violet all looked up in time to see Ivan release a black tentacle from his right hand straight towards them. It was aiming straight at Natsu's heart.

However, Alu turned in time to see what was going on. With one last whip attack, Alu knocked Neo Virgo's lightning whip away and darted towards her father.

"DAD, WATCH OUT!" she shrieked.

In less than a second, Alu had leapt in front of Ivan's targets and summoned a large amount of Dragon Slayer Magic to create a kind of barrier. The white fire expanded out and burned up the black tentacle in just a matter of seconds. Ivan wielded back and gripped his hand as the ivory flames traveled up the tentacle and managed to singe his hand a bit.

Alu grimaced and fell to her hands and knees. At the same time, her fiery shield dissipated.

"Alu!" Natsu shouted when he saw her fall."

Alu panted heavily for air and shut her eyes tightly. That took more Magic Power than she originally intended. She was so desperate to stop Ivan that she over did it. And now she was paying for it. That shield along with those whip spar with Virgo completely shot her Dragon Slayer Magic.

"You little whelp!" Ivan snarled savagely at Alu. "Why must you always interfere?!"

Alu opened her eyes and scowled at Ivan.

 _"I've got to stand my ground or he's going to attack Dad!"_ she thought desperately to herself.

Slowly, Alu got to her feet. She was still struggling for air, but her determination forced her to get up.

"What are you doing, you horrible little girl?!" Ivan glowered.

"Standing between you and my dad, that's what!" Alu replied in the same tone, only hers was weaker. "Beat me all you want; I'm not giving up!"

"Alu, no!" Natsu raised his voice commandingly. "Just get out of here!"

"No way!" Alu said, not turning around to look at her father. "I'm not leaving you here!"

"Alu, as your dad, I'm ordering you to get out of here! Don't worry about me, just save yourself!"

"NEVER!" Alu shrieked with furious conviction.

Natsu fell silent at that.

"I'm not running away!" Alu shouted strongly. "You taught me this, Dad! You taught me to always be strong! To never give up the fight no matter what! I'll never run away! And I will never run from a self-proclaimed powerful wizard who's really a COWARD!"

Alu's last word was directed straight at Ivan, and he knew it. He gritted his teeth so hard with fury that small pieces of them broke off.

"SILENCE!" he roared.

Immediately, Ivan summoned forth five streams of what seemed like an endless amount of shikigami dolls and shot them straight at Alu. Alu screamed in pain as they hit her with merciless blows. They knocked her away from Natsu, Happy, and Violet and straight into the wall of the cave.

"ALU!" Natsu shouted, struggling to break his chains.

Ivan didn't stop with that attack. Again and again, he pelted Alu with powerful blows of shikigami whips. Alu twisted and writhed in agony, unable to hold back her cries and shouts as those things attacked her.

Hearing his own daughter screaming, and seeing her getting beaten like this made Natsu both frightened and angry.

How DARE Ivan attack his daughter like this right in front of him! Natsu wanted nothing more than to burn this horrible man into a blazing oblivion! Not even leaving behind a pile of ashes!

With on last brutal attack, Ivan slammed Alu up against the wall again, where she gasped in pain and fell to the ground.

"YOU DARE CALL ME A COWARD, YOU PATHETIC LITTLE BRAT!" Ivan raged. "I'M MORE POWERFUL THAN YOU'LL EVER BE! YOU'RE NOTHING BUT A HALF-WIZARD WHO HAPPENS TO BE A CELESTIAL DRAGON SLAYER! YOU'D BE BETTER OFF DEAD!"

Alu groaned, fighting off the agony that racked her body. She then raised her head and glared at Ivan as best she could. Weakly, she lifted herself up and struggled to stand up again. This shocked everyone in the room. They could see the energy it was costing her just to stand up, but she was doing it anyway.

Alu was relentless. Even after getting beaten and bruised, she was still getting up.

"Are you insane?!" Ivan growled with bewilderment. "If you continue to fight, you're going to die!"

Alu took in a few deep breaths before looking Ivan straight in the eye.

"I won't die," she strained. "Not until…my family is safe. Safe…from you."

Ivan scowled.

"If that's the way you want it, so be it!" he said. "I can't have any competition, anyway!"

Ivan then unleashed his shikigamis up into the air. Alu looked up to see what was happening, and her blood ran cold. Ivan was forming a shikigami orb bomb, and its target was locked right onto her.

"ALU, RUN!" Natsu cried.

But Alu couldn't run. She couldn't move at all. All she could do was stand there and take it.

As Alu braced herself for the impact, something inside her key pouch glowed. At the same time, she as if something had entered her body through her hip. She jolted as the power traveled up through her and into her chest. She then shrieked with pain and grabbed the upper part of her left arm.

"ALU, LOOK OUT!" Violet shrieked suddenly.

Alu looked up in horror just as the Shikigami Bomb shot it's beam straight at her. In about two heartbeats, she would be dead.

But before that attack reached her, something pink and fluffy suddenly wrapped around her in a thick cloud of cotton. The beam hit that instead of her.

"What?!" Ivan staggered.

Natsu, Happy and Violet all stared in both shock and bewilderment as the cloud of wool disappeared. To their intense relief, Alu was unharmed. More than that, someone had come to her rescue. And that someone was now standing protectively in front of her, her arms spread out in an attack position.

"Aries." Alu exhaled gratefully. She had never been happier to see her friend until now.

"Oh, I'm sorry I'm late, Alu." Aries said, glancing innocently back at Alu.

"Heh, don't be silly." Alu grinned. "I'd say you made it just in time."

"You just get some rest." Aries said. "I'll try and handle this."

"But Aries…"

Before Alu could protest any further, Aries took a fighting stance.

"Oh, another Celestial Spirit." Ivan droned. "Surprised you were able to get her, with you master being beaten and weakened."

"I opened my own Gate." Aries explained, her face hardening a little bit. "And I came to protect Alu. And I will defend her."

"Aries!" Happy suddenly cried. "Heads up!"

Aries turned sharply to her right when she caught something out of her peripheral vision. Neo Virgo had jumped into the air and was about to bring her lightning whip down on her. Aries saw it coming and jumped out of the way. She then cartwheeled a safe distance away and prepared to attack. She had learned from her last encounter with this version of Virgo to not leave herself open again.

She counter-attacked just in time.

"GO, WOOL BOMB!" she commanded.

In an instant, a large cloud of fluffy pink wool encased Neo Virgo, leaving only the end of her whip dangling out. It was then that Aries didn't know what else to do. All she could do was keep Neo Virgo contained for a small amount of time.

But Alu resolved that conundrum.

"FIRE DRAGON ROAR!"

With that mighty summon of Magic, a jet-stream of brilliantly blazing white fire shot from Alu's mouth and straight at the pink cloud. The moment it made contact, the whole thing blew up like a large bomb. Only this time, the aftershock was so great that it shook the whole cavern and sent Aries flying back by accident. She fell on her side just a few yards in front of the shrine Natsu was chained to.

Natsu couldn't help but stare in wonder. He didn't know Aries wool was perfect for explosion attacks. How did Alu learn that?

Ivan himself stumbled back from the attack. How could he have forgotten about that? Aries wasn't strong on her own, but her wool paired with Alu's fire made her rather formidable in that regard.

Ivan had enough. He was going to end this now. And the first thing he was going to do was take Aries out of the equation, permanently.

He snatched a key off his belt and held it out.

"OPEN, GATE OF THE DARK LION!" he summoned. "LEO!"

In an instant, that same dark version of Leo appeared.

"Destroy Aries!" Ivan shouted.

Neo Leo only gave a creepy grin before charging at the defenseless Aries.

"ARIES!" Violet shrieked with terror.

But Neo Leo was already closing in on the Golden Ram Spirit. He raised his fist and it burst into life with Dark Regulus.

Aries screamed in fear, shut her eyes, and raised her arms in a futile attempt to defend herself. But she knew that once that attack hit her, that would be it.

Neo Leo brought his fist down…

…but Aries felt nothing.

What she did hear, though, was a powerful blow just in front of her.

She snapped eyes open in alarm. What she saw, was the most terrifying thing she couldn't have ever imagined. It was like time had slowed down for her, Natsu, Happy, and Violet.

Alu, seeing her dearest friend in peril, had somehow found the strength to bolt across the room and leap in the way of Neo Leo's attack. However, she didn't have any Dragon Slayer Magic left to summon a barrier again. Instead, she took the hit herself.

Neo Leo had hit her straight in the stomach.

What was worse was that as soon as Neo Leo's attack hit her, a small burst of blood came out of Alu's abdomen.

Natsu's eyes widened in horror when he saw that. This was by far the worst thing he had seen yet.

Alu had been fatally injured.

"ALU, NOOOO!" he yelled.

Alu tumbled across the floor until her back slammed up against the base of the shrine, almost right at Natsu's feet. She gasped in agony and wrapped her arms around her middle. She laid there on the ground, twisting and curling in pain.

"Hmph," Neo Leo scoffed. "Foolish girl. That's what you get for getting in my way."

Aries, shocked and horrified, immediately got up and ran to Alu's side and knelt down. Violet quickly flew over to Alu and landed beside her, her eyes wide with terror. Happy just stared with petrified eyes. He was unable to move.

"Alu!" Aries tearfully cried. "Are you alright?! Oh, I'm so sorry!"

"I-It's not your fault, Aries!" Alu strained. "I'm okay!"

Unfortunately, Alu coughed up blood that splattered onto the ground. She gritted her teeth and struggled to get up. But it was clear she was in utter agony, even more than before.

Seeing the little nuisance in such pain, Ivan lifted up his head and laughed manically.

"Oh, how noble for a little half-wizard!" Ivan said, mockingly. "Using herself as a shield to protect a measly tool! How amusing! If I had known that was all it took to kill her quicker, I would've done it sooner!"

Natsu's eyes flashed with unspeakable rage and he struggled against his binding with vicious determination.

"YOU BASTARD!" he roared. "LEAVE MY DAUGHTER ALONE!"

"She's the one who started this fight, Dragon Slayer." Ivan sneered. "I'm just following through. Besides, she's the reason you're in this mess in the first place, isn't she?"

"YOU SHUT UP!" Natsu shot back angrily. "THIS ISN'T HER FAULT!"

"Oh, relax." Ivan replied shrewdly. "I'll make sure she doesn't share the same fate as you. She'll at least move onto the afterlife. I promise I'll make her death a swift kill. That is once I'm finished with you. I think it'll be more appropriate if she was to die somewhat by your hand, as you are part of the reason she came into this world in the first place."

Natsu growled savagely at that remark, but Ivan took no notice.

"Now, where were we?" he said. "Ah, yes, now I remember. You might want to prepare yourself, Dragon Slayer. Soon you'll just be an empty shell."

Ivan stretched out his hand and prepared to cast the Soul Stealer Curse.

"Dad, no!" Alu moaned fearfully.

Alu opened one eye and looked down at her torso. Nervous sweat began to roll down her face when she saw her shirt was stained red and heavily soaked. At this rate, she would lose a lot of blood.

Wait, her blood! And she still had her Celestial Magic!

Those two details combined gave Alu an idea. It was desperate one, and a certain Spirit was going to kill her for doing this, but this was her only chance to save her father. She had to take it.

Mustering up all of the strength she had, Alu seized a key off of her belt and rose to her feet, fighting off the pain that threatened to make her collapse again. She stood up between her father and Ivan. This made everyone stop and look at her. Ivan was so surprised by this that he even stopped midway through his Soul Stealing command. Natsu became worried when Alu stood up. He could tell she was doing all she could to stay on her feet.

"I'm…not…done…yet!" Alu panted heavily with determination.

Alu then raised her key up into the air.

"Alu!" Natsu cried. "What are you-!"

"OPEN, GATE OF THE WATER BEARER!" ALu screeched. "AQUARIUS!"

With that command; and to the horror of Natsu, Aries, Happy and Violet; Alu drove the end of the key into the gash in her stomach and turned it!

"ALU!" Natsu screamed with terrified shock.

Alu's cried out in excruciating pain as a magic Celestial Gate emerged from the center of her body and Aquarius appeared out of it. The young mage then fell straight into Aries's arms. She panted heavily for precious air.

Everyone in the room stared in disbelief.

 _"She used her own blood to summon Aquarius?!"_ Ivan thought to himself, absolutely dumbfounded.

Aquarius, having sensed that Alu summoned her by a most revolting manner, turned around sharply.

"Disgusting little impudent!" she raged. "What were you thinking of summoning me from-!"

Aquarius rant instantly stopped when she saw Alu's condition. Her faced changed dramatically from angrily irritated to very, very worried.

Alu looked up at Aquarius with weakness in her eyes.

"I'm sorry," the pink-haired girl said, her voice weary and tearful. "I was desperate. You can kill me for that later…if you want. But please, I'm begging you…Aquarius. Save my dad. Please."

Aquarius didn't move for a moment. Natsu stared in disbelief when he saw the Water Spirit. How did Alu summon her? Aquarius's Key was broken the last time he checked, and there was no way Alu couldn't opened Aquarius's Gate by her own volition without the key.

Then Aquarius moved. She turned around menacingly and looked at Ivan. Her eyes were blazing with hatred, and had a desire to kill.

"You're gonna pay for this!" she snarled viciously.

Then without warning, Aquarius summoned her silver urn and a blast of powerful, pure blue water shot from it. It headed straight for Neo Leo and hit him with such force that he couldn't hold his ground. He was swept away and slammed straight into the wall of the cavern.

Aquarius then turned her fire on Ivan. He almost didn't put up a shikigami shield in time as her waves of fury closed in on him.

While Aquarius was busy defending the group, Alu reached for one more key.

"Alu, you shouldn't!" Aries advised franticly.

"I've got to." Alu said, her voice sounding more like a whisper. "I've still got some Magic left."

Alu then held the key up and summoned the last bit of her Celestial Magic.

"Open, Gate of the Twins, Gemini!"

In an instant, Gemini appear in the form of Alu herself. The twin Spirits seemed to have sensed Alu's danger and immediately assumed the form of their master. They also looked just as worried as everyone else.

"Gemini," Alu strained to talk, "please…melt the chains. Melt the chains."

"Sure thing, Alu!" Gemini nodded understandingly. "Leave it to us."

Working quickly, Gemini, using a copy of Alu's Dragon Slayer Magic, melted the chains that bound Natsu to the shrine. They started with his right wrist and worked around counter clockwise. Thankfully, not a lot of Magic was needed for this task.

As Natsu became free, he let his limbs drop down. He never once took his eyes off Alu. The moment he was free, he staggered away from the shrine and over to his daughter. Gemini gave one, "Piri – Piri", before closing their Gate and disappearing.

Natsu fell to his knees and took Alu from Aries's arms, scooping her up in his own with tender love and care, but also urgency.

"Alu, talk to me!" he said franticly.

"Dad..." Alu moaned. She was having a hard time staying conscious now.

Natsu scowled and gritted his teeth.

Ivan dared to harm his daughter like this and take pleasure in it! It was unforgivable! Natsu wanted revenge!

However, even he couldn't deny that the effects of Neo Ophiuchus's injection hadn't warn off. He could at least move now, but he couldn't summon any of his Magic.

"Natsu!" Aquarius suddenly called out, getting his attention. "Get Alu and yourself somewhere safe! I'll hold these guys off for as long as I can! And don't worry, I'm using my own Magic to keep my Gate open now! I'll close it as soon as you're safe away! NOW, GO!"

Natsu didn't hesitate. He knew Aquarius was right. As much as he wanted to destroy Ivan for what he did to his daughter, he couldn't deny that Alu needed him more.

He carried Alu in his arms and got to his feet. Aries also stood up while Happy and Violet summoned their Area Magic.

"Thanks, Aquarius, I owe you one!" Natsu said before turning and running out the nearest exit with Aries, Happy and Violet close behind him.

This exit wasn't the one that Natsu came in from, in fact it led further into the mountain, but he didn't care. He just had to find some place safe so he could tend to Alu properly.

He felt sick to his stomach whenever he heard her moan and groan with discomfort. And he felt a horrible stab in his heart when she involuntarily grabbed hold of hi jacket and held it tight, like she was seeking comfort from it. From him.

"Hang in there, Alu!" Natsu urged encouragingly. "You're going to be fine, I promise! Just hang on!"


	28. Chapter 28: A Father's Gift

**Chapter 28**

 **A Father's Gift**

As soon as Natsu, Alu, Aries, Happy and Violet had gotten a good head start were as safe away as they could be, Aquarius let out a deep exhale and stopped her attack. She then immediately closed her Gate, disappearing in a light of water droplets.

Ivan sensed the Water Spirit disappear and lowered his shikigami shield. He quickly noticed that there was no one else left in the room except for him and Neo Leo. He shook with rage and yelled into the emptiness of the chamber. He whipped around sharply to his Spirit servant.

"Neo Leo!" he ordered sharply. "Hunt the Dragon Slayer down!"

Neo Leo, although weary and annoyed, didn't dare disobey his master. He just got up from his spot and nodded.

Ivan then pulled five more keys off his belt and clutched them angrily in his hands. The keys belonged to dark versions of Sagittarius, Cancer, Capricorn, Gemini, and Scorpio.

"The same goes for you!" Ivan barked. "I don't care what happens to the brat or the Exceeds, but I want that Dragon Slayer alive! NOW FIND HIM!"

With a forced swish of his arm, Ivan opened all five Gates at once.

* * *

Meanwhile, Natsu and his group just kept on running. They wanted to get as far away from Ivan as they could. At the same time, they knew they had to find a place to stop. Alu wasn't doing very good, and she needed medical treatment right away.

Happy and Violet flew on ahead of Natsu and Aries, their eyes franticly scanning for any place that they could use to hide.

Eventually, Happy rounded a corner and saw something that made him exclaim with relief. He quickly flew back to the others.

"Natsu!" Happy shouted. "Over here! Hurry!"

Happy disappeared behind the corner again.

Natsu rounded the same corner and saw that Happy was hovering next to an opening in the side of the rockwall. He and quickly went inside with Happy following him him. Violet and Aries immediately followed him. Once they were all in, Aries, Happy, and Violet all worked together to move a large slap of stone over the doorway, closing it off. From the outside, it looked like just another part of the stone wall. The small cave would've been completely dark if it weren't for some fluorescent crystals that shone brightly and lit the place up in a soft violet glow.

Once the entrance was sealed shut, they all dropped down to the ground on their knees and fell still for a moment. Natsu held onto Alu tightly against him, making her squirm a bit in discomfort.

For a few sickening moments, the group listened for the sound of any footsteps that might be coming their way. After about three minutes, they still heard nothing.

"I think we're safe." Aries whispered.

Natsu exhaled deeply, and Happy and Violet relaxed.

"Thanks, Aries. I owe you one." Natsu said to the Celestial Spirit. "You should probably head back to the Celestial World now. You need to recover your strength."

"Yes, of course!" Aries bowed, becoming flustered. "I'm very sorry! I'll leave right away!"

In a puff of pink smoke, Aries disappeared.

Natsu then turned his attention to his daughter. He carefully set her down and leaned her up against a large boulder in the corner to examine the extent of her injuries. Even in this light, he could see just how beat up she was. He scowled when he saw that she had sustained quite a few scratches and bruises from that fight with Ivan. She was also very pale and cold sweat was rolling down her face. That was a sure sign that she had used up too much of her Magic Power.

But what worried Natsu the most was that her white shirt was stained deep red. She was covering it up with her right arm, but it was clear to see that it was causing her a lot of pain. And her left arm hung limply at her side.

Happy and Violet walked up to the two Dragneels, their faces clearly showing just how worried they were.

"Alu?" Natsu gently shook her. "C'mon, talk to me. Can you hear me?"

Slowly, Alu opened her eyes. Her vision kept fading in and out of focus, but she knew that her father was in front of her.

"I…I'm okay, Dad." Alu grimaced, her voice sounded rough. "I just need to rest for a moment."

"Yeah, right." Natsu replied sarcastically. "I'm starting to think that you're trying to get yourself killed."

"I came to save you!" Alu glowered. "I don't enjoy getting beaten to a pulp, you know!"

Natsu just sighed heavily and shook his head.

"I'm the Dad," he mumbled. "I'm the one who should be saving my family. But we'll discuss that later."

The Dragon Slayer then lifted up his right hand and a bright ball of honest red fire began to glow in his palm.

"Eat up," he said, offering it to his daughter. "You're going to need your strength. I can't help your Celestial Magic, but I can at least help your Dragon Slayer Magic. Just take it slowly, okay. Don't push yourself."

Alu nodded weakly and opened her mouth as wide as she could. She then began to consume her father's flames. The streams of fire made their way to her mouth and down her throat at a very slow, unsteady rate. It was getting easier to swallow as she continued to eat the fire, and she was starting to feel some of her strength returning. Color was also beginning to come back into her face as her father's flames began to revive her.

When she had eaten enough fire, she exhaled deeply and leaned back. She immediately lurched forward again and gritted in pain. She tightened her hold on her stomach with her right hand and tightened her left fist.

Natsu gently pushed his daughter back up against the rock and grabbed her right arm to remove it. Alu resisted out of pure reaction.

"Just let me take a look." Natsu ordered, his voice firm but kind.

Alu obeyed and pulled her arm away.

Natsu's eyes widened a bit when he saw that her white sleeveless was cut clean through the middle. He lifted her shirt up just enough to see the extent of the injury. A cold wave of concern shot through him when he saw that there was a long gash across her belly. It wasn't as bad as he had previously thought, thank goodness, but it was still bleeding.

That Dark Leo really got her good.

"Happy," Natsu said urgently, turning to the little blue Exceed next to him. "Do you have any bandages?"

"No, Natsu." Happy replied worriedly, paling at the sight of Alu's injury. "I'm sorry, but if I had known this would happen I would've brought some."

"Violet, do you have any bandages?"

"No, I don't." Violet shook her head. "I'm sorry."

"Dad," Alu protested, "it's just a scratch. I'll be fine."

"That's more just a scratch, Alu." Natsu said. "We've got to at least stop the bleeding. Oh, if only Wendy was here. She could fix this in just seconds."

Natsu clutched at his scarf around his neck in distress as he tried to think of something. But what could he use?

Wait, his scarf!

Natsu looked down at the white muffler with an expression of revelation.

"This'll do," he whispered.

Alu's eyes widened in surprise when she saw her father take the scarf off of his neck and brought it down to wrap around her waist. What's more, he did without even so much as a second of hesitation. Alu knew how protective her father was about that scarf, and how much it meant to him. So why did he just take it off like that?

"Dad, wait, what are you doing?!" Alu said quickly, pushing the scarf back. "That's the scarf Igneel gave you!"

"I know," Natsu replied, "but you need it more than I do right now."

"But you told me how much Igneel meant to you! I don't want to stain a precious memento!"

Natsu brought his right hand to her face and lifted her head so that she could look him in the eye. His expression showed that he was calm.

"Alu, listen," he said slowly and caringly, "Igneel gave this to me as a gift because I was his son. It's a father's gift. And now, as your father, I'm giving it to you. Like I said, you need it more than I do. Don't worry about staining it. I'm sure we can get it out later. But right now, just take it."

Alu looked down at the scarf and bit her lip. The emotion of the moment was starting to get to her and she felt like crying. She swallowed hard to force back the urge and nodded.

"Okay, I'll take it," she said softly.

Natsu nodded and immediately wrapped the precious scarf around his daughter's waist. He made sure to tie the knot securely so that it wouldn't come loose. Once he was done, he sat up next to her and leaned back the same boulder she was resting up against. Happy flew over to Natsu and set himself down into the Dragon Slayer's lap. Natsu responded by hugging the little Exceed. Violet hovered over to Alu and the girl reached out to welcome the Exceed onto her lap.

For a moment, everyone just sat still and said nothing.

"So, Alu," Natsu finally said, breaking the silence, "you mind telling me why you ran off in the first place? Rogue said you didn't run away, but he refused to tell me anything else. So, do you care to tell me?"

Alu said nothing. She just made a bit of a face.

At last, she reached over to her key pouch and felt around for a certain key. Natsu glanced over just in time to see her pull out a golden key. She brought it over to him and displayed it in the palm of her hand.

Natsu's eyes widened in shock. Alu was holding Aquarius's Key. Only it wasn't broken like he remembered it. It looked good as new.

"This is the reason I left." Alu said dully. "I overheard you and Mom talking about Aquarius the other night and I got the idea of repairing the key for her. So I, along with Aquarius and Aries, traveled to the Valley of Gates to fix it. I wanted it to be surprise though."

Natsu reached over and took the key out of Alu's hand. He stared at it with an impressed expression on his face.

"So that's how you were able to summon Aquarius," he said, turning the key around to inspect it.

Alu just nodded. Natsu held the key for just a minute longer before handing it back to his daughter. Alu simply took the key and put it back into her key pouch.

"Why didn't you just tell me what you were doing when I caught up with you in Onibus?" Natsu asked, raising an eyebrow.

Alu frowned before mumbling, "You wouldn't have listened to me."

Natsu looked over at her with a stern expression.

"What does that mean?" he asked sharply.

Alu gave a pained scowl.

"I know you thought I ran away," she said bitterly. "And considering all the trouble I was in the day before; you wouldn't have believed me. You would've dragged me back to Magnolia and I would've been suspended from the guild. I heard you talking to Gramps. I know what he said."

"So let me guess," Natsu said, "you thought that if you completed this quest, then you would finally be accepted as a Fairy Tail wizard?"

Alu frowned miserably.

"Alu, you didn't have to put yourself through this." Natsu continued. "And you certainly didn't have to put yourself through that torture back there."

"Yes, I did." Alu mumbled.

"No, you didn't." Natsu said, a little more firmly. "You didn't deserve to get beaten like that."

"It wasn't because I thought I needed to be punished." Alu interjected, grimacing. "I had to prove something."

This made Natsu fall silent for a moment. He turned and looked at Alu. The first thing he noticed was that there were tears brimming her eyes.

"And what were you trying to prove?" Natsu asked tentatively.

Alu hesitated, lowing her head so that her bangs hid her eyes.

"That you right," she finally admitted. "I wanted to prove that you were right."

"Me?" Natsu blinked. "Right about what?"

"That I am strong." Alu replied, her voice starting to crack with sadness. "I heard what you said to Ivan."

* * *

 _Moments before…_

 _Alu, Violet, and Happy reached Mount Zonia at the exact time the sun was beginning to set. Thanks to Violet's knowledge of the mountain, she was able to show them where they could find an entrance into the cave itself. It was a small crevasse that they had to squeeze through for about five minutes. When Alu and her companions finally got through, she was breathless and tired. But her determination to find her father made her want to keep going._

 _At the same time, after she became aware of her surroundings, she became aware of a strong, evil presences. It was unlike anything she had ever felt before, and it made her dizzy and sick. She shivered and hugged herself as she tried to fight off the nauseating feeling. She wasn't the only one who felt it. Happy and Violet both trembled and whimpered when they felt the same kind of darkness she did._

 _"What the heck is this?" Alu asked through chattering teeth._

 _"I don't know." Violet said. "I've never been inside the mountain before."_

 _"Man," Happy shuddered, "it feels like someone just poisoned the air with condensed evil."_

 _"Well, we're going to have to think about this later." Alu said, straightening herself back up. "We've got to find Ivan before Dad does."_

 _Without giving it another thought, Alu began to walk down a tunnel that would lead her into the mountain. Happy and Violet walked closely behind her._

 _In about five minutes, they began to hear the sounds of battle cries and powerful attacks striking each other. As Alu listened closely, she realized that the sound was coming from the below the floor. Alu scanned the area and saw that there was wide crack just a few yards away from her. She ran over to it and immediately got down onto her hands and knees and looked down though it._

 _Much to her horror, she saw that Natsu had already found Ivan. Worse than that, Natsu was engaged in battle with Neo Leo and Neo Taurus._

 _"Natsu!" Happy cried as he peered over Alu's shoulder._

 _"Shh!" Alu snapped silently, smacking a hand over Happy's mouth. "Quiet, Happy! They'll hear you!"_

 _"Then what do we do, Alu?!" Violet asked in a worried whisper._

 _"Just wait." Alu ordered. "Wait and time our attack."_

 _Alu then turned her attention back to the fight going on down below her. At first, she felt a thrill of excitement as she watched her father fight and hold his own against Neo Leo and Neo Taurus. She had to restrain herself from crying out in excitement. She soon forgot why she was so worried in the first place. Natsu looked like he had the situation under control._

 _However, that excitement was quickly replaced with dread when she saw Ivan summon Neo Virgo, Aries, and Ophiuchus._

 _Alu, transfixed, watched in terror as those three Dark Spirits overwhelm her father and inject him with that horrible substance. She watched as they dragged Natsu over to alter and chain him up._

 _She suddenly found herself very afraid. She didn't know what to do next. There was no way she could stand up to Ivan now. He was too powerful for her._

 _What should she do?_

 _It was then that she heard her father speak._

 _"Alu." Natsu finally said, his voice rough and weak._

 _Alu snapped back to reality at the sound of her name and looked down through the crack._

 _"Alu." Natsu repeated to Ivan, trying to raise his voice. "Where's…Alu? Tell me."_

 _"You're still worried about that brat?" Ivan questioned, genuinely confused. "You're about to have your soul stolen and all you can think about is the little half-wizard? I don't understand why you care about that little misfortune anyway. She's hardly worth anything if you ask me."_

 _Alu winced painfully at that remark. Was Ivan right? Was she hardly worth anything? That thought lingered in her mind as she listened to the rest of the conversation below._

 _"A little half-wizard like her didn't deserve to be in Fairy Tail or any other guild." Ivan went on. "Wizards are only useful when they have power."_

 _"Is that why you implanted a lacrima inside your own son?" Natsu spat savagely. "Just because Laxus was weak back then, didn't mean he was useless."_

 _"You're one to talk." Ivan replied. "I bet you and that blonde wizard had a Dragon Slayer lacrima implanted in that half-wizard before she was even born."_

 _"Never!" Natsu tensed, using all of his strength just to shout. "I would never do that to Alu! And neither would Lucy! The power Alu has is hers alone! It was in her blood ever since she was born!"_

 _"So, you're perfectly content with having a dead-weight of a daughter?" Ivan sneered._

 _"Alu's not dead-weight!" Natsu shot back. "She was never dead-weight to me, or Lucy, or anyone else in Fairy Tail!"_

 _"Of course," Ivan grinned mockingly, "because everyone Fairy Tail 'loves' their members no matter how pathetic they are. You know that keeping weak members in strong guild will only put you in peril. Just like now."_

 _"How's that?" Nastus snarled. He was really getting annoyed at this point._

 _"C'mon," Ivan replied, "it's because of that little half-wizard that you're in this mess. You just couldn't abandon her even if you wanted to. Because Fairy Tail never leaves any of its members behind. And that's what's gotten ensnared in my trap."_

 _There was a short silence. Alu felt her heart sink. Ivan was right. It was because of her that her father was in this mess. If she hadn't run away, he wouldn't have been captured like this._

 _It was her fault. It was all her…_

 _"You shut your mouth." Natsu suddenly glowered. "I came after Alu because it was my choice. And I have no regrets."_

 _Alu looked up in surprise. She saw Natsu slowly lift his head up and stare at Ivan straight in the eye. His face was full of determined sincerity._

 _What he said next changed everything for Alu._

 _"I never once saw Alu as a misfortune," he said. "And I defiantly never saw her as a commodity. She's one of a kind. She works hard. Puts her heart and soul into everything she does. She may not be strong in Magic, but she has the most powerful heart I've ever seen. So what if she has a Magic Deficiency? That makes no difference to me. I'm just happy to have her in my life. I wouldn't even care if she was born without Magic. Nothing could change the fact of how proud I am of her. I'm more than proud to call myself her father."_

 _At that, Alu brought her hand up to her mouth and began to cry. She didn't even care that Happy and Violet were watching her. She had almost forgotten that they were there. A warm, deep glow began to shine in her heart when she heard those words her father spoke._

 _He believed in her. All this time, he had believed in her. The very person she had looked up to, admired, and strived to be for so long had faith in her, even after the mess she had gotten him into._

 _Just knowing that made Alu's heart melt with happiness._

 _She then heard Ivan speak again._

 _"Well, aren't you sentimental," he said harshly. "But you're also delusional. And I've grown tired of this idle chat. Say good night, Dragon Slayer."_

 _That was it. Alu didn't need to think twice about what she was going to do._

 _She was going to save her father. That decision was absolute._

 _With a burst of willpower, Alu busted through the ceiling in a spectical of Dragon Slayer Magic and shot downwards, ready to confront Ivan no matter what._

* * *

 _Back to the Present…_

Natsu blinked. So Alu had heard him. She was there the whole time and saw everything.

Alu then twisted her mouth and tensed her body.

"But I failed," she whimpered. "I failed again. No matter how hard I try, I just can't win."

Ashamed, distraught by her loss, and unable to contain the tears that were welling up in her eyes, Alu suddenly brought her hands up and hid her face in them. Violet shifted her position so that she slid off of Alu's lap.

"Why?!" Alu sobbed. "Why do I have to be so weak?! I don't understand! Just why?! I can't win any fights by myself! I hate it! Why do I have to be such a burden?! Ivan was right! I am a misfortune!"

Suddenly, Alu felt something grab her shoulder. The next thing she knew, her father pulled her in close to him and embraced her tightly, pressing her up against his chest. She was so surprised by this action that she tensed up and caught her breath. He clung to her so tight that Alu felt his arm trembling a bit from the force of it.

"Don't ever say that." Natsu whispered.

He sounded forceful, but not in an abusive way.

"Dad?" Alu whimpered.

"Ivan doesn't know you at all." Natsu went on. "He has no right to call you a misfortune. No one does. I never saw you as that. How many times do I have to tell you before you believe it?"

Alu grimaced. Her heart tugged with self-pity. She couldn't contain her feelings anymore.

At last, she said something she never wanted anyone to know.

"When I stop hating myself."

Natsu tensed when he heard that. Happy and Violet stared with wide-eyed shock. They didn't expect Alu to say that. Nor did they ever expect to see her openly showing her feelings of self-anger, sadness, and frustration.

"I admit it," Alu choked, "I hate myself. I hate myself for being weak; for being angry all the time; and for just not knowing who I am. I feel like some part of me is missing, but no matter where I look, I can't find it. How can I like myself if I don't even know who I am? I just…I don't know…"

Alu couldn't go on. She had already felt like she had spilled her guts. She was embarrassed, along with all her other negative emotions.

She felt Natsu pull her in closer.

"It's okay," he said softly. "I know you're frustrated. And I'm sorry. I probably should've found some way to help you. But you need to know this. You're stronger than you think. The way you stood up to Ivan was brave. You showed courage in the face of danger. You're fearless, Alu. Don't ever forget that."

Alu sniffled and shuddered.

"And above all," Natsu continued, "never forget this: I love you. And so does your mother. Always remember that. And always remember that I'll always be proud of you."

Alu couldn't hold her emotions back anymore. Her heart ached, and her soul shook. With a sob, she buried her face into her father's chest and let her tears fall as he encased her in his strong arms. He was so warm and full of comfort, and she held on to him like he was a lifeline that would prevent her from drowning in her own sorrow.

Happy and Violet started crying as they watched this. It was both touching, but also so sad for them. And for Happy, who had known Alu ever since she was born, found it heartbreaking to see her in such a vulnerable state. That wasn't like her. She was always so stubborn and strong in his eyes. It hurt him to see her this way.

Violet walked over to place a paw on Alu's left arm. As she did, her eyes caught something. When she looked to see what it was, she gasped in horror.

"Alu!"

This got everyone's attention. Alu and Natsu pulled away from each other and turned to look at Violet. The purple Exceed was pointing at Alu's upper arm. Her paw was trembling, and her eyes were filled with horror.

Alu looked down, and was she saw made her heart leap up into her throat with fear.

On the upper part of her left arm, just centimeters below her shoulder, was a patch of pearly-white scales!

Alu couldn't speak, her breathing became staggered. Again, her body was changing and she didn't know why.

Why was this happening to her? Just WHAT was happening to her?

Natsu inhaled sharply and brought his hand up and examine it. There was no doubt that those were scales. They were smooth and flat, but Natsu could tell that they were super strong. And they felt familiar. He had felt these kind of scales before. They were only on one other creature he knew.

Igneel, his foster father. Who was a Dragon; clad with scales.

"What's happening to you?" he whispered, disturbed.

It was then that Natsu remembered something. He looked over Alu again, and his eyes locked right onto her face. Only now did he realize that she had a streak of emerald green in her hair, and her right eye was cyan with a slit for a pupil.

He stared as the eye reminded him of a Dragon's eye.

Natsu then remembered something. When Ivan was about to attack her with the Shikigami Bomb, Alu had screamed in pain and clutched her left arm, even though Ivan didn't strike her. He thought it was because of a wound that Ivan had inflicted before, but when Natsu thought about, he realized that she had grabbed the same spot that the scales were now on.

But after that, her power had seemed to increase enough so that she and Aries could do that combo attack.

It then struck Natsu like lightning.

Alu's dramatic changes; the color of her flames changing from orange to white; and even regaining her strength during the middle of her battle with Ivan moments ago, despite the fact she had used up all her Dragon Slayer Magic before. This wasn't any normal transformation.

Natsu remembered what Igneel had told him about Acnologia being a Dragon Slayer who turned into a Dragon. Igneel also told Natsu that one of the reasons he, and the other four Dragons, had sealed themselves inside the Dragon Slayers was to create antibodies to prevent them from becoming Dragons themselves.

Since Laxus was a Dragon Slayer because of a lacrima implanted in him, he didn't need to worry about that transformation happening to him.

But Alu…

She was BORN with this power. And she didn't have Dragon to help create antibodies for her.

Natsu began to feel very, very, very sick.

Was Alu turning into a Dragon?

Natsu couldn't bring himself to voice that. He tried to swallow back his fear, but that emotion of anxiety didn't leave his eyes for a moment.


	29. Chapter 29: Inside Mount Zonia

**Chapter 29**

 **Inside Mount Zonia**

 _In the middle of the forest…_

"Man," Ur groaned, "making a campfire is so much more of a hassle without Alu around."

"Then we'll just have to get her back." Ash said.

After a day of traveling, Ash, Ur, Carol, and Pantherlily all settled down to rest. By now, they had already laid out their sleeping bags and started a fire. Ash and Ur sat on one fallen log together, while Carol sat on another, holding Pantherlily in her arms as he sat on her lap. As they were waiting for the fish they had caught to cook, they began to talk amongst themselves.

"I still don't see why we should be doing this." Ur said. "I mean, Dad and the others are already looking for the little pinky princess, so why are we out here?"

"Because Alu's our friend." Carol replied simply. "And she's part of our team. Besides, she would do the same if it was anyone of us."

"You're right, Carol." Ash said. "And honestly, I wouldn't be able to call myself her friend if I just abandoned her like that."

Ur looked over at her twin brother with a mischievous grin.

"Yeah, right," she said. "You just want to save her because you're in love with her."

Ash tensed and his heart skipped a beat. His face immediately turned red and his expression changed to startled embarrassment. Carol and Ur both snickered at his reaction while Pantherlily smirked.

"N-N-No!" Ash stuttered. "It's not like that! She and I have just been friends since we were kids!"

"And so have the rest of us." Ur pointed out. "C'mon, Bro, admit it. You've got feelings for her."

"Stop it, Sis!" Ash grimaced uncomfortably. "I just…like to hang out with her! And she makes for a good sparing partner!"

The two girls just laughed at the poor boy.

"Sorry, Ash." Carol giggled. "But you're really cute when you're flustered. And you have to admit, you're bad at hiding your emotions."

Ash groaned. Carol was right, he was bad at hiding his emotions. Which was something he viewed as a curse.

"I just HAD to be the one to inherit that trait from Mom," he moaned.

"I don't see what the problem is, Ash." Pantherlily said calmly. "So you have feelings for Alu, what's wrong with that?"

Ash made a face.

"I think I know." Ur said. "It's because of a certain someone she's related to, isn't it?"

The Ice Maker wizard boy shuddered and wrapped his arms around himself like he was cold. Of course, he wasn't. Ash wasn't affected by outside elements of cold. This chill came from a certain memory of someone.

"Natsu has got to be the scariest, most over-protective father on the face of this earth," he said in almost-comical fear.

"Oh." Pantherlily said slowly, finally understanding the message.

"So you still haven't gotten over your fear of Natsu, have you?" Carol asked. "Is it because of that little incident? That was seven years ago. Besides, Happy was one who got the details wrong. You just fell on Alu during the middle a fight. And you got up immediately, and Alu didn't make a big deal about it."

"Try telling that to Natsu!" Ash shouted, his face had now gone pale as he recalled the memory of that little "incident". "He threatened to tie me to a stake and burn me alive if I so much as went NEAR Alu after that! And he had a killer look in his eyes! I swear, I thought he was really going to kill me!"

"Just be grateful you're both in same guild." Ur said teasingly. "At least that keeps him from really killing you."

"Yeah, but he can still really hurt me." Ash shivered.

"And that's why you should be glad that Dad can go toe-to-toe with him. After all, he did slug Alu's dad when he got up in your face back at the guild."

Ash groaned again and put his face in his hands with exasperation. He certainly didn't want to remember that either.

"Besides," Pantherlily said, "I don't think Alu would appreciate it if Natsu really did any major harm to Ash."

"That's true." Carol nodded. "And she if used herself as your shield, which I wouldn't put it past her to do something like that, there's no way Natsu would strike his own daughter. He cares about her too much."

That was something no one could argue with. They had all seen how many times Natsu had gone after Alu when she went off on a solo job without permission. It takes a really dedicated father who loves his daughter unconditionally to do that, no matter how many times she ran off.

"By the way, Carol." Ur spoke up, "I have to ask. Why did you decide for us to come after Alu?"

Carol looked up.

"Well, she's our friend for one thing," she said. "But also because I owe her a debt."

Ash and Ur blinked.

"You guys know I was born without the ability to use Magic." Carol explained. "Well, back then, I had considered leaving Fairy Tail because If didn't felt like I belonged there. But it was Alu who gave the idea of learning to become and blacksmith for Magic weapons as well as an expert swordsman. If she hadn't done that, I probably would've left Fairy Tail. That's why I owe her one."

"I didn't know that." Pantherlily said. "So that's why you wanted me to teach you the ways of the swords?"

"Yes." Carol nodded. "And that's why I'm here to bring Alu back."

Ash and Ur both nodded in understanding.

Ur then glanced away. She didn't want to admit her reason for rescuing Alu. The truth was that while Alu annoyed her to no end, and she hated the girl's guts, she didn't want see Alu hurt or even dead. And that happened, who would she have around to pick fights with?

As far as Ur was concerned, nobody messed with Alu but her.

"Well, the fish should be ready now." Carol announced. "Let's eat and then we'll get some sleep."

* * *

 _Back at Fairy Tail…_

It just after sunset when Lucy, Grey, Erza, Gajeel, Wendy, Carla, and Romeo arrived back at the Fairy Tail guild. They were surprised to see that almost every member of the guild was assembled there. This was the first sign to them that something wasn't right. Grey and Gajeel immediately went to find Juvia and Levy, who were standing together by the bar. Both of them had worried expressions. As Grey and Gajeel got closer, they realized something else, too.

Ash, Ur, Carol, and Pantherlily were nowhere to be seen.

"What do you mean Ash and Ur are gone?!" Grey exclaimed after his wife told him what happened.

"It's just as I said, Dear." Juvia explained. "I woke up this morning and they were both gone. Their backpacks were missing, too. I think they might have gone after Alu."

"Carol and Lily are missing, too." Levy said, talking mostly to Gajeel. "I think they might have gone with Ash and Ur."

"Oh, Carol." Gajeel mumbled, trying to conceal his concern. "At least Lily's with her, I guess."

Levy frowned at that. She knew Gajeel well enough by now to know that was his way of saying, 'Now I'm worried'. But she also caught something in Gajeel's eyes. It more than the usual worried glint.

"Gajeel, what's wrong?" she asked. "Did something happen?"

There was a short pause. Then Erza stepped forward.

"Where's Master Makarov?" she asked. "We have to tell him something important."

"I'm right here," a voice answered.

The crowd departed and Makarov came walking through it. Laxus was close behind him.

"Oh, good your both here." Erza said. "I'm afraid we got some bad news."

"What is it, Erza?" Makarov asked.

Erza went on to explain their encounter with Sting and Minerva back in Onibus and about how Yukino's soul was stolen.

"And when we met up with Rogue in the forest," she said grimly, "he said that it was Ivan who did it."

A cold wave of shock went through the whole guild at the sound of that name. Both Makarov and Laxus were particularly affected by this news. Makarov's face turned into a serious scowl, while Laxus looked away, cursing under his breath.

"Do you know what he's up to this time?" Makarov asked.

"Sort of." Romeo answered. "From what Rogue told us, he's trying to complete some kind of Spell that would make into a kind of Dragon Slayer. A Celestial Dragon Slayer. And by the looks of it, he wants to destroy Fairy Tail like before. Only this time, he's got an army of Zodiac Celestial Spirits. At least that's what Rogue told us."

"And he should know." Wendy replied. "He fought with him last night. He experienced it first-hand."

Makarov scowl change a little to reveal disappoint.

"That good for nothing…"

Before Makarov could continued, the little old man realized something. There was a member missing from the group.

"Where's Natsu?" he asked. "And for that matter, where's Happy? Don't tell me they went to fight Ivan on their own."

The group looked at each other, and then over to Lucy. It was like they were expecting her to fill the Master of Fairy Tail in on what happened. Shivering, and clasping her hands over her heart, Lucy looked up. Everyone could see the fear in her eyes, even though she was doing her best to hide it.

"Lucy, what's wrong?" Juvia asked.

"Ivan tricked Natsu." Lucy explained in a weak voice. "From what Rogue told us, he encountered Alu last night and helped her fight off Ivan. I'm guessing that at some point, Ivan managed to snag a piece of her clothing. Because he sent Natsu a note with her clothing attached to it, saying that he had captured Alu and that he would kill her unless Natsu came alone. But it was all a trap."

The whole guild was listening intently now.

"It's true." Carla spoke up. "Shortly after Natsu, I had vision. It was all a trap so that Ivan could get Natsu's soul. Ivan didn't kidnap Alu. She was heading towards some kind of Valley. But she must've found out that Natsu had been captured, because I also saw her fighting Ivan. Happy went to stop her, but now I think about it, he might be the reason she knew where to find Natsu."

"So," Laxus finally said, "they're probably fighing my old man now even as we speak. I hate to tell you this, Lucy, but Alu doesn't stand a chance against him. Natsu, probably. But if what you say is true, then those are as good as rats in a trap."

"Laxus!" Mirajane scolded from behind the counter of the bar. "Can't you see that Lucy's worried enough already!"

"Of course I can." Laxus replied grimly. "But we have to realistic here. My deadbeat dad might be a coward, but if he wants something, he's ruthless."

"But Laxus, you were able to beat him in the Grand Magic Games." Wendy pointed out. "Along with the entire Raven Tail guild."

"Yeah, but that was years ago." Laxus said. "And if he's has learned Curse Power, then there's a good chance that he's stronger now than he was then. Not mention, he's leaching off the power Yukino's soul and her Magic. And if he gets a hold of Natsu's soul…"

"Don't say it!" Lucy suddenly cried.

Everyone turned to Lucy. She was struggling to not give into her fear, but it was getting harder by the minute.

"That can't happen!" Lucy said firmly. "I know Natsu! He won't let it happen so easily! I just know he and Alu will come back!"

For a while, the whole guild was silent. They were just letting the information they had received sink in. At the same time, they were worried about the missing members of their guild. Just knowing that they were in grave danger, or even potentially in grave danger, made them all fearful and helpless.

Lucy was feeling vulnerable at this point. She just couldn't stand this waiting and knowing that her husband and daughter were in danger.

She then felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Lisanna standing next to her. Although Lisanna had a look of concern in her eyes, she was doing her best to put on a bold face.

"Natsu will be fine," the white-haired woman said encouragingly. "He's strong and brave. And Alu is really tough, too. I just know they'll both be okay."

Lucy tried to smile, but the best she could give was a grimace. Regardless, she touched Lisanna's hand with her own, silently thanking her for the words of reassurance.

Makarov stepped forward and raised his voice with authority.

"We'll just have to trust that Natsu, Alu, and Happy can hold out for the time being. For now, we have to focus on stopping Ivan. Three members of our family are in danger, and it's up to us to save them."

Everyone in the guild nodded.

"We'll also be getting help from Sabertooth." Erza informed. "They have their own score to settle with Ivan after what he did to Yukino. Rogue has gone to recruit them. More than likely they'll meet us here. After that, I propose that we head to Mount Zonia to rescue Natsu, Alu and Happy."

"Did you say Mount Zonia?" a voice suddenly questioned.

Everyone turned to see who had spoken. Much to their surprise, Gildarts Clive, who had been listening quietly at the bar, suddenly stood up. The expression on his face had changed from concerned to suspicious. Cana was sitting beside him, and she was just as confused by his reaction as everyone else was.

"What is it, Gildarts?" she asked.

"It's just that," Gildarts hesitated, "Mount Zonia was the first place where I saw Acnologia."

At sound of that evil Dragon Slayer's name, a shudder went through the whole guild. No one could ever forget their encounter with that monster.

"What about it, Gildarts?" Makarov asked.

"Think about it; why would Ivan choose that location of all places?" Gildarts explained. "Maybe it has something to do with Acnologia."

"Are you saying that he might be trying to resurrect that monster?" Grey asked, expressing what everyone was thinking.

"I don't know about that," the ginger-haired wizard replied. "But I think it might be safe to say that Ivan's plans and the fact they are tied to Mount Zonia MIGHT be connected to Acnologia in some way."

* * *

 _Meanwhile, inside Mount Zonia…_

Natsu had never been so sick with worry his life.

Not only did he have to get Alu, Happy and Violet out of Mount Zonia so that they could get his daughter some help, but he soon found himself dodging around deranged Celestial Spirits around nearly every corner. Fortunately, by this time, his body managed to fight off Neo Ophiuchus's poison, and he was able to summon his Dragon Slayer Magic if he had to. However, with Alu in the condition that she was in, he knew he couldn't afford to get caught up in a fight.

He just had to get her out and fast.

By this time, Alu was so despondent that she couldn't even walk. Natsu had to carry her on his back, and even then, she found it hard to just hang on. She didn't even notice how weird it was now that Natsu didn't have his scarf on. Whenever he gave her piggy-back rides when she was younger, she had always snuggled her face against his soft scarf. But now, that scarf was around her waist. But she didn't care about that. She was too miserable to take any notice of those details.

Happy and Violet, being the smallest of the group, served as scouts. They would poke around corners and let Natsu know when it was clear to move. Of course, along with Neo Leo, there were Neo versions of Sagittarius, Gemini, Cancer, Capricorn, and Scorpio walking around. Each of them were intent on finding Natsu and apprehending him like their master ordered.

Alu was disgusted by these twisted versions of the Zodiac Spirits. Sagittarius was another carbon copy of an over-the-top muscular centaur; Scorpio looked like a little boy who was an aristocratic voodoo priest; Gemini were little annoying children; Capricorn was just a brown goat dressed up in a yellow suit; and Cancer was a wild and out of control maniac with an outrageous afro and oversized crab claws for hands.

Of course, Alu didn't express any of this out loud. She was too tired to say anything. She just gave a sad and repulsed expression.

The sooner they got out of Mount Zonia, the better.

After a while, Violet came upon and small opening that lead to some stairs leading downward.

"If my sense of direction is right," she said in a whisper, "then this should lead us into the heart of the mountain."

"Well, let's get going." Natsu ordered. "It's not safe for us to stay in one place for too long. One of those Spirits might catch us."

As they group traveled down the stairs, they began to realize that the sense of evil they had been feeling was getting stronger. At one point, they almost decided to turn back and find another way, but they immediately changed their minds when they hear the sound of Neo Cancer passing the top of the stairs. Natsu decided to take his chances with the evil aura than risk getting into a fight with one of those freaks.

After about five minutes, they reached the bottom of the stairs. They walked out of a low arched doorway and into a large cavern. It was so enormous that Natsu thought that the whole Kardia Cathedral could fit in it. Bright luminescent crystals were lined up all along the walls, so that the place was lit up in bright green and white lights.

"Wow." Natsu breathed, his voice echoing all around the room. "This place is huge."

"I had no idea that Mount Zonia was hollow." Happy said, staring in wonder.

"Neither did I." Violet said. "I mean, I've lived around Mount Zonia my whole life, but I've never gone inside it."

As Natsu walked forward, the sound of metal being stepped on caught his attention. He looked down and saw that he had stepped on something that looked like a broken golden chain. He blinked in confusion, as he had first assumed that it was a rock. As the looked at it, he saw that it was leading somewhere. His gaze followed along the trail of chain and found that it was attached to a large cuff just a few yards away.

He then looked around the room and found that there were five other cuffs and chains that were exactly identical.

"What's are these?" he asked.

"They look like a bunch of oversized handcuffs." Happy said.

"I know that," Natsu replied, "but what are they doing here? They don't look like any normal cuffs."

"Dad," Alu suddenly spoke up, her voice sounding weak, but also surprise, "these cuffs have Celestial Magic in them."

"Are you sure, Alu?" Natsu asked, glancing back at his daughter.

"Positive." Alu nodded. "I'd recognize this power signature anywhere. But it's strange. I don't know how to explain it, but this Celestial Magic feels ancient. Like it's hundreds of years old."

"But what would chains imbued with Celestial Magic be doing in a place like this?" Happy asked.

Just then, Violet saw something.

"Guys, look over there." she exclaimed softly.

The whole group looked at Violet for a moment and saw that she was pointing at something across the room. They turned their eyes to see what it was. From where they were standing, they could see that there was some kind of drawing on the cave wall. They made their way across the cavern to get a better look, and soon found themselves staring up at some kind of mural.

"What's this?" Natsu asked as they all stared at it.

"You got me." Happy said. "But I think it's some kind of cave painting."

The group looked over the pictures. From what they could see, it seemed to be telling some kind of story. There were two large Dragons, and both were as black as the night sky. However, one of the Dragons had blue patterns that twisted around its body, while the other looked like it had a bright circular shape on it's forehead and stars all along its body.

There were also images of the Zodiac Spirits, but they looked a little different than the ones that Natsu, Alu, Happy, and Violet knew. They looked like they were decked out in glittering armor and charging in as if to fight something. There was also the image of a young woman with long blond hair and was dressed in a blue and white outfit.

There was also another human in the picture. This one had emerald green hair, bright eyes, and was dressed in what looked like warrior garments. In one of the pictures it showed this human to be surrounded in a golden orb of light, and the dark dragon with the blue swirls was being chained up with golden cuffs.

As Natsu stared at that Dragon, his eyes suddenly widened. He realized that he knew that Dragon. He stepped back.

"Acnologia!" he exclaimed in fearful whisper.

"Where?!" Happy jumped at the sound of that name.

"That's Acnologia in that picture!" Natsu explained. "I know it!"

"You mean that Dragon you and the others defeated?" Alu asked, shuddering. "But what's he doing in this mural?"

"I don't know." Natsu shook his head. "But this has certainly got my attention."

"Hey," Violet suddenly said, "there's some writing under here."

Natsu and Happy moved closer to where Violet was indicating to. Alu shifted her position so that she could get a better view over her father's shoulder. There was some writing just below the mural. For Happy and Violet, it was written in a language that they couldn't understand.

But for Natsu, it was a different story. This kind of writing looked vaguely familiar to him.

"I think I might be able to read this," he said. "This looks like the kind of writing that Igneel taught me."

"You mean before you and the other Dragon Slayers came through the Eclipse Gate?" Happy asked.

"Huh?" Violet blinked.

"It's a long story." Alu quickly said to the little Exceed before turning back to her father. "Well, what does it say?"

"Just give me a minute." Natsu said as he looked over the engraving.

Alu stared at the writing as well. Then something strange began to happen. As she stared at it, she was slowly finding that she was beginning to understand what the words were saying. What she didn't notice was that one of her keys in her key pouch was beginning to glow again, and that something was beginning to happen around her left eye.

"Okay," Natsu finally said, "I think this is what it says: 'The Apocalypse has been sealed, and the Spell has been cast. A soul divided, and the Spirit Dragon gone. This great power will be found when Magic converges.'"

"'The Celestial Dragon will reawaken when the souls of a Celestial Wizard and Dragon Slayer become one and whole'." Alu finished.

Natsu turned to look back at his daughter with an expression of surprise.

"Alu, how did you know that?" he asked.

"I don't know." Alu blinked. "I just…I could just suddenly read it, that's all."

It was then that Natsu saw something. With a gasp of alarm, he set Alu down carefully and turned to look her in the face.

"Dad, what's wrong?" Alu asked, nervous about his sudden action.

Natsu began to feel that sickening feeling again. He brought his hand up and touched the area around Alu's eye. Alu shut her left eye out of reaction and brought a hand up to shove her father's way.

That's when she felt something.

As Natsu removed his hand, Alu felt along the side of her eye. Her blood ran cold and she caught her breath when she realized that she was feeling scales instead of skin.

"Alu!" Happy exclaimed when he saw her face. "You've got scales on your face now!"

Violet gasped in alarm when she saw Alu as well, and she covered her mouth with her paws.

Alu began to tremble and she wrapped her arms around herself.

"Dad, what's happening to me?" she asked, her voice shaky.

"I…I don't know." Natsu answered.

Alu curled up and tightened her hold on herself.

"Dad," she whimpered, "I'm scared. I'm scared."

Natsu did the only thing he knew how to do in a situation like this. He just pulled Alu in close and wrapped his arms around her. She shivered like she had just been pulled out of icy cold water, and she clung to her father with what little strength she could muster.

"It's going to be okay, Alu." Natsu whispered, trying to be comforting. "It's going to be okay. You're going to be fine, I promise."

Alu couldn't respond. She just nestled closer to her father, as if she was hoping that his warmth would unfreeze her fear-stricken heart.

Just then, Violet jolted with a realization.

"Guys, I just thought of something," she said quickly. "Ivan must've found out about this prophecy because of this mural. And if that's true, then that means that Ivan knows about this chamber. We need to get out of here."

"Oh, it's too late for that, little kitty," a sinister voice said from across the room.

Alu flinched in fearful shock as she recognized that voice.

Natsu, Alu, Happy and Violet all turned towards the entrance they had taken. Ivan was standing at the entrance with the Celestial Spirits had summoned before standing in front of him. Every single one of them was looking at the small group with wicked looks of accomplishment of finding their prey.

At the sight of that horrible man, Natsu scowled defensively pulled Alu in closer to himself. He remembered what Ivan had done to Alu before, and he wasn't going to let it happen again. He held onto Alu like she was some precious treasure that he would never let go of no matter what. Now that he wasn't chained up, he was going to protect her with all the strength he had.

Alu felt her stomach freeze as she looked at Ivan. Whether it was because he had almost killed her before, or if it was because of that evil look of triumph on is face, or for some unknown reason, Alu suddenly found herself deathly afraid of him. She tightened her grip around her father's jacket and began to whine loudly. She just wanted to know Natsu was here. She had to know he was here.

This only made Natsu even more protective. He held Alu closer, his arms trembling from the force of it. He scowled at Ivan and began to shiver. Only this fear he was feeling wasn't for himself, it was for his daughter.

"What's the matter?" Ivan sneered. "You scared? Well, you should be. Because this is the end of the line for all of you. You can't escape me now."


	30. Chapter 30: A Father's Love

**Chapter 30**

 **A Father's Love**

"Spirits, attack!" Ivan commanded. "Capture the Dragon Slayer!"

On that command, the Spirits that were assembled in front of Ivan charged forward towards Natsu, Alu, Happy and Violet. Neo Leo was in the front, and he had a look of vengefulness in his face.

Just as they reached the little group, and just as Neo Leo was about to strike, Natsu tightened his hold around Alu and jumped out of the way. Happy and Violet both flew out the way and flew high above the others. While in mid-air, Natsu positioned himself in such a way where he could shield Alu and attack.

"FIRE DRAGON ROAR!" he roared.

A jet stream of fire shot from Natsu's mouth and down upon the six Neo Zodiac Spirits. This forced them to raise their arm in defense as the mighty flames surrounded them.

"Happy, Violet!" Natsu shouted. "Take Alu and get her somewhere safe!"

"Aye, sir!" Happy said.

The two Exceeds swooped down and Natsu passed Alu off to them.

"Dad!" Alu cried as she was pried away from him.

"I'll be okay, Alu!" Natsu said as reassuringly as he could. "Just get somewhere safe!"

Before Alu could protest any further, Happy and Violet carried her away from the fight. But she didn't take her eyes off her father for a moment.

Natsu landed on his feet and charged forward, fire surrounding his fists.

"FIRE DRAGON IRON FIST!" he bellowed.

Neo Leo responded to this by summoning his Dark Regulus.

"PITCH BLACK HAMMER!"

Happy and Violet brought Alu over to a pile of boulders on the far side of the cavern and hid down behind them. Alu crawled over to peek around the edge of of the rocks. She watched with sickening anxiety as her father fought against the deranged Spirits.

Natsu ducked under Neo Leo's punch and then slugged him a good one in the stomach. While Neo Leo's armor prevented any major damage, it was enough to at least stun him long enough for Natsu to deck him. With that Spirit down for a while, Natsu quickly turned his attention to the next Spirit that was closing in on him, which was Neo Sagittarius. The Dark Archer Spirit had already summoned a long spear and was charging towards Natsu with the intent on stabbing the Dragon Slayer in the shoulder. But Natsu had sharp reflexes. He avoided the oncoming spear and sprang off of one foot.

"FIRE DRAGON SWORD HORN!" he shouted.

Natsu, surrounded in an aura of fire, head-butted Neo Sagittarius straight in the stomach, knocking the wind out of the Dark Spirit. Neo Sagittarius then fell on all four knees of his horse-half and Natsu jumped right over him.

His attention then turned to Neo Cancer.

"You got some fancy moves there, man!" Neo Cancer said manically. "Let's see how you handle this!"

Neo Cancer moved in with his massive crab-claw hands and began to snap at Natsu with lightning fast attacks. Natsu came to a stop to dodge ever single attack. He either bent over backwards as far as he could, moved to the side, or ducked to avoid getting hit. Finally, he managed to find and opening and dropped to the floor to swing his legs around and knock Neo Cancer off his feet.

Natsu then turned his attention to Neo Scorpio. But before he could make a single move, Neo Scorpio, Capricorn, and Gemini disappeared into thin air.

"What the…"

Suddenly, a terrified scream caught Natsu's attention.

Natsu turned around quickly to see what was going on. What he saw made him freeze in terror.

While Alu was busy watching her father fight, she was unaware that Ivan had snuck up behind her. By the time she realized he was there, he had summoned the Neo versions of Virgo, Aries, and Ophiuchus. Neo Aries had grabbed Alu by the neck with her chain, and Neo Virgo had chained her up just like she had did with Natsu before. On top of that, the Dark Maiden had captured Happy and Violet in body cuffs and made them hover beside her.

But what made Natsu stop was that Neo Ophiuchus had her syringe poised to stab Alu in the stomach. He could see a greenish purple substance inside that syringe, and it made his own stomach clench when he remembered being injected with that crazy stuff. He involuntarily brought his hand up and clutched the place where that needle had stabbed him. He then scowled with anger when he saw how scared Alu was. She remembered what she had seen before with this, and now she was more terrified than before.

"Well, well, well," Ivan sneered, enjoy the expressions on both Natsu and Alu's faces, "looks like I ended up capturing your precious daughter after all, Dragon Slayer."

"Let her go, Ivan!" Natsu demanded in a fierce voice. "She's got nothing to do with this!"

"Oh, I'll let her go," Ivan said with an evil grin, "if you agree to surrender your soul to me. If you so much as make a move, then your daughter will suffer the same fate as you and worse."

"He's not lying." Neo Ophiuchus smiled maliciously. "This poison is different from the one I used on you. This will completely destroy her Magic Power in the most painful way possible."

Natsu jolted when he heard that. If what Neo Ophiuchus said was true, then if he didn't comply, then Alu would die.

"All I have to do is inject this stuff into her, and she'll blow up like a tick before plastering all over the walls." Neo Ophiuchus explained savagely.

Natsu clenched his fist in rage and Alu shuddered.

"So, what's going to be, Dragon Slayer?" Ivan asked in a sinister voice. "The girl, or your soul?"

Natsu didn't have to think about this. There was no other way around this. He didn't want to give up his soul, but he didn't want Alu to suffer a horrible fate. And his love for his daughter was greater than his own wellbeing.

He wasn't going to let Alu suffer.

Natsu lowered his head, extinguished the fire around his fists, and stood where he was. He brought his arms down and released the tension in his fists.

"Do whatever you want to me," he said in a low voice. "Go ahead, take my soul. Just let Alu go."

Alu stared at Natsu with wide eyes. He was really doing it. He was giving himself up just to save her. He was doing all this for her. This made Alu lower her head so that her bangs hid her eyes.

"Dad," she whispered under her breath.

"That's more like it." Ivan sneered. "Glad to see someone knows when to surrender."

Ivan then raised his hand. Natsu tightened his jaw and waited for that Curse Power to take away his soul.

"NATSU!" Happy cried out with fear.

However, before Ivan could strike, Alu suddenly screamed with rage. Her whole body lit up in a blaze of intense white fire that forced all of the Spirits surrounding her to stumble back and away from its heat. Alu's chains all melted off of her and fell to the floor in puddles of burning hot liquid. Alu dropped to her feet and turned her attention towards Ivan and rushed at him, her eyes filled with furious determination, and her hands burning with white fire.

"STAY AWAY FROM MY DAD!" she screeched.

Ivan had only a split second to react. He managed to avoid Alu's roundhouse kick to the head, but she quickly followed it up with a punch to the chest. Thanks to her Dragon Slayer Magic, Alu amplified the punch and sent Ivan flying backwards. He let out just a small grunt of pain before slamming back into the wall.

Everyone in the room stared with amazement. It was like Alu had miraculously gotten her strength back. Not only that, but she actually managed to land a blow on Ivan.

But she wasn't stopping there.

As soon as Ivan was down, Alu whipped around and charged at Neo Virgo, Aries, and Ophiuchus. All three were so startled by what she did before that by the time she reached them, they didn't have time to defend themselves. Alu Wing-Attacked Neo Virgo, punched Neo Aries with a Flame Elbow, and kicked Neo Ophiuchus with a Fire Dragon Talon strike. The cuffs around Happy and Violet immediately disappeared and the two Exceeds flew straight up in the air.

Natsu stared. He had never seen Alu fight like this before. Not only that, but her Magic Power was more intense than before. Natsu had lived with Alu his whole life and knew the extend of her Magic Power, so he could definitely tell that something in it had changed. Not to mention, Alu had a glint of ferocity in her eyes that he had never seen before.

At first Natsu was amazed that Alu could fight like this, but then a thought struck his mind that made his heart drop down into his toes. He remembered Alu's mysterious transformation, and how he thought it was possible that she was turning into a Dragon.

Was this increase in power and strength a side-affect of the transformation? Did this mean she really was turning into a Dragon?

Before Natsu could think any further on this, Alu came running over towards him with Happy and Violet close behind.

"Dad!" she said urgently. "You and I are going to have to team up!"

"Huh?!" Natsu said, snapping out of his trance.

"C'mon, it's the only way we're going to get out of here!" Alu replied fervently. "We're a family and we protect each other! I've got your back, you've got mine! That's how it works! And it's the only way we're going to get out of here!"

Natsu blinked. He then grinned and nodded.

"That's my girl!" he said proudly. "You ready?!"

"Yeah!" Alu grinned.

By this time, all of the Zodiac Spirits that Natsu and Alu had knocked down before were back on their feet and were staring at the two Dragneels with vengeful expressions.

"That's it!" Neo Leo snarled. "You're both dead! I swear we'll put an end to you!"

"Bring it on!" Alu taunted. "C'mon on, Dad!"

"You got, kiddo!" Natsu replied.

Natsu and Alu stood back-to-back with confident smirks on their faces.

"LET'S KICK SOME ASS!" they both declared in unison.

Happy and Violet flew high above to get a better view of the fight that was about to happen. On a silent command, both Natsu and Alu charged toward their chosen Neo Spirits. Natsu went for Neo Leo, Sagittarius, and Cancer; while Alu went for Neo Virgo, Aries, and Ophiuchus. Pretty soon, the father and daughter were engaged in a fight against three Neo Zodiac Spirits each.

Natsu attacked with strength, power, and swiftness. He landed hard blows on Neo Sagittarius, avoided the pinching claws of Neo Cancer, and overwhelmed Neo Leo with a merciless barrage of punches and kicks.

Alu fought with agility, precision, and well-timed punches and kicks. She decked Neo Aries, dodged Neo Virgo's whip attacks as well as managing to kick her legs out from under her, and broke Neo Ophiuchus's syringe when the Dark Snake Charmer tried to stab her with it.

In just a few minutes, all the present Neo Zodiac Spirits were down and out. With their energy spent, they all disappeared as their gates were closed. Both Natsu and Alu were panting heavily, but were relatively unharmed.

"Alright!" Violet cheered excitedly. "You guys did it!"

"No," Natsu said in a deep voice, "that was too easy."

"You're right, Dad." Alu replied. "They should've put up much more of a fight than that. Something's feels wrong."

Just then, the sounds of lasers charging and paper flapping caught everyone's attention. They sounded like they were coming from above. Everyone snapped their heads up and that there were four Shikigami bombs gathering above them. And they were all completely formed.

While they were all focused on the fight with the Neo Zodiacs, Ivan had prepared a sneak attack of his own. Using his own Magic, he summoned these Shikigami bombs to attack.

All at once, the Shikigami bombs fired their laser beams. The beams weren't powerful enough kill anyone, but they stuck their targets with painful force. Natsu, Alu, Happy, and Violet all hollered and screamed as a laser stuck them. They were all forced down to the stone floor, where they slammed into it so hard that they left small indentions in the ground. All of them ached so badly that they could barely move.

When the dust had settled, Ivan stood several yards away, admiring the sight before him.

"Hmph," he scoffed, "not quite the show I was expecting, but thanks for buying me some time. And if all Fairy Tail wizards are as weak as you, then I'll have no trouble wiping out the whole guild."

"How?"

Ivan looked over to where the frail voice had come from. Much to his surprise, Alu was struggling to get up. She had only managed to get up to her knees, but that was all her strength would allow her to do. Not to mention, the wound on her stomach was starting to get to her again, and she curled up to try and lessen the pain.

"Tell me…" Alu strained. "How…did you find out…about the Celestial Dragon Slayer?"

Ivan glared at Alu.

"Why do you want to know that?" he asked.

"Just tell me." Alu demanded as firmly as she could. "I need to know."

"Hmph," Ivan replied disdainfully, "I don't see why I should, but if you want to know, then fine. After I suffered a defeat at the hands of that pathetic excuse for a son, Laxus, Raven Tail was forced to disband, losing my chances to get the Lumen Historie. Makarov and guild had humiliated me for the last time. From that day on, I swore that I would find a way to destroy him and all of Fairy Tail. After I escaped from prison, I traveled around. Eventually, I came to Mount Zonia and found the Spell that would create the most powerful Dragon Slayer the world had ever seen. And after seeing how strong a Dragon Slayer was, I knew this was the perfect chance to get what I wanted."

Alu narrowed her eyes. Something about what Ivan was saying was making her mad.

"However," Ivan continued, "I know that in order to obtain this power, I would have to learn a way to get the souls of a Celestial Wizard and Dragon Slayer. After discovering the remains of Tartaros and their Curse Power, I obtained the one I needed to steal the souls of others. It took me years to perfect the plan, but as you can see, I've almost completed my plans."

Ivan then intensified his scowl on Alu, like he was zeroing in on her.

"And then you came along," he said. "A weak little half-wizard who happened to have the powers of a Celestial Wizard and Dragon Slayer. You're may not be powerful, but you certainly have been a thorn in my side since I met you. But you've served your purpose, there's no need for you anymore."

Ivan then raised his hand and summoned his Curse Power. Alu watched with horror as that power grew stronger.

"Your soul won't be worth very much," Ivan grinned wickedly, "but at least this'll shut you up. Say goodnight, half-wizard."

All Alu could do was watch as a black tentacle shot for Ivan's hand and snaked its way through the air towards her. She was about to shut her eyes and brace herself for the impact, when something happened.

Before Alu realized what was going on, something moved in front of her and wrapped her up in strong, warm arms. The black tentacle reached her, but it didn't strike her. Alu stopped breathing when she saw what happened.

Natsu managed to recover in time to see what was going on. Without thinking, he moved from his spot, and had now place himself between Ivan's Soul Stealer curse and Alu. He hung onto Alu, using his body as a shield, and the black tentacle struck him in the back.

Alu's mouth fell open and she stared with terror. She struggled to breathe when she saw that black tentacle strike into her father's back, right between his shoulder blades.

Natsu grimaced and tightened his grip around Alu as Ivan's Curse began to probe around inside his body, searching for his soul. He had felt this Curse Power before, but this brand that Ivan was wielding was different than the other one he had fought against before. It wasn't letting go, and Natsu didn't have the strength to fight it back. It was only a matter of time before Ivan found his soul and stole it.

He wasn't getting out of this, and he knew it.

As he realized this, Natsu remembered something that Gajeel had said to him before.

* * *

 _"I swear, Salamander. Someday that kid of yours is going to be the death of you."_

* * *

"Guess you were right, Gajeel." Natsu whispered to himself. "But I have no regrets."

"Dad, no!" Alu said, her voice shaking. "No, no, please!"

Natsu turned his head and gave his daughter a weak smile.

"It's okay, Alu," he strained to say. "It'll be alright. Just…keep fighting on. Protect…Fairy Tail. I have faith in you. I always have. And don't worry. I'll always…be with you…like a bright starlight."

Alu's lip quivered at that phrase. Immediately, she remembered the lullaby Natsu used to sing to her as a child, and promise he made behind it. That he would always be there for her.

Even now, he was here for her. Even thought it was costing him his soul, he was still here for her.

"And remember…" Natsu whispered, "I'll always…love you."

As soon as those words left Natsu's mouth, Ivan yanked out the Dragon Slayer's soul.

Alu gasped in horror. Time around her seemed to slow down. The moment Natsu soul left him, he went limp immediately and his whole body turned cold. His eyes, lost of their light, slowly closed and lost his grip on Alu. He fell to the ground, lifeless.

Alu stared at her father for a moment, stunned and terrified. She couldn't believe what just happened.

"Dad," she whimpered. "Dad."

It finally registered with her and she began to trembled. Her breathing became rigid, her heart clenched so hard that it hurt, and tears welled up in her eyes. She fell over onto her hands and let those tears spill down from her eyes.

Finally, she lifted up her head and cried in the loudest voice that echoed through the cavern.

 **"DAD, NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"**

As Alu cried in anguish, Ivan gathered up the glowing red orb that was Natsu's soul and held it in the palm of his hand. He then closed his fingers around the orb, and absorbed it. Feeling the rush of the power it contained, Ivan began to laugh in maniacal triumph.

"Amazing!" he yelled. "So this is the power of a Dragon Slayer! It's glorious! At last! With this Magic mixed with Celestial Magic, I'll become the most powerful wizard in the land! Nothing will stand in my way!"

Alu looked up with a vicious scowl and suddenly rose to her feet with a burst of energy she didn't know she had. Out of blind rage and hatred, she charged towards Ivan.

"GIVE IT BACK!" she cried furiously. "GIVE MY DAD'S SOUL BACK!"

Ivan just smirked as Alu drew closer. He raised his hand towards her and a fire ball formed in his palm. Alu looked at it in horror and her mind shut off.

That was her FATHER'S Magic!

Seeing her hesitation, Ivan took the opportunity to blast Alu with the fire ball. While it didn't burn her, Alu was sent flying across the cavern at incredible speed. She hit the ground and tumbled for a few feet before hitting the wall. As she did, a rock struck her in the head and knocked her out. She fell to the ground and little pieces of rocks showered down on her.

However, from Ivan's point of view, the attack looked like it had killed Alu. She was still and wasn't showing any signs of breathing.

"So pathetic," he grinned evilly. "Oh well, she served her purpose. And now that I've gotten what I wanted, there's only one thing left to do. Time to wipe Fairy Tail from the face of this earth. I'll destroy every last one of those little Fairies. No man, woman, or child will be left alive."

Ivan turned to the stairway and walked out of the chamber.


	31. Chapter 31: Attack on Fairy Tail

**Chapter 31**

 **Attack on Fairy Tail**

 _In the forest…_

"Carol, wake up!"

Carol winced and groaned as the hushed voice of Pantherlily woke up her senses. She opened her eyes and strained to see through the limited light what was going on. She saw at once by the change in shadows of the forest and the dying embers of the campfire that she had been asleep for several hours.

She lifted her head with alert when she noticed that Pantherlily was in his battle form, which made him look like a muscular human with a cat's head.

"Lily, what's wrong?" Carol whispered.

"I sense trouble coming." Pantherlily informed. "Wake the others."

"Right."

As Pantherlily got up to scan the area, Carol ran over to Ash and Ur to shake them both away. They were both groggy, but did their best to wake up when they noticed Carol's mild urgent behavior. They both got to their feet and the whole group stood in a circle with their backs to the campfire and their fronts to the forest around them. Carol and Pantherlily had their Magic weapons at the ready, Ur took a graceful stance and prepared herself to attack with her Water Magic, and Ash already placed his right fist into his left hand to use his Ice Maker Magic.

For a while, there was just silence. But there was definitely the presence of something powerful nearby. They were all alert and ready to strike, the question was what they were suppose to be striking.

Then suddenly, something emerged from the bushes. Everyone immediately snapped around and charged towards the spot, ready to attack.

However, what they saw made them all stop in surprise.

* * *

 _Meanwhile…_

Lucy stood out at the edge of the guild that looked over Lake Sciliora. The night breeze gentle blew her long hair, which was tied up in a side ponytail. She was now dressed in her battle gear. A tight, dark blue sleeveless top with a long white skirt, and brown knee-high boots with white leggings. On her arms were gloves that went from her wrists to just below her shoulders. Around her waist was a brown belt that held her pouch with her Celestial Keys and her Fleuve d'etoiles.

While everyone else in the guild was resting for the fight with Ivan that was to come, she was too worried to sleep. All she could think about was her family, and the fact they were both in trouble. And for the past few hours, she had a horrible feeling nagging at her in the back of her mind. It was bother her so much that it was beginning to make her heart hurt. She was just wishing she could be where Natsu and Alu were so that she could help them. She wanted that more than anything right now. She just wanted both her husband and daughter to be standing with her now. She wanted to know that they were safe.

Lucy hugged herself, like she was trying fight off the inner chill she felt as well as the outer. As she did, she felt something warm drape over her shoulders. She tensed for a moment in surprise and saw that it was a brown suit coat. She then turned around in time to see Loke come up beside her.

"Loke!"

"Sorry, you just looked cold." Loke said in a low voice. "So, you worried about your family, huh?"

Lucy pulled the jacket around her shoulders and nodded.

"Yeah," Loke sighed, "I figured you were. But if it makes you feel any better, I'm worried about them, too."

"I just wish there was something I could do to help them," she admitted sadly. "I know their both in danger. I can feel it. But there's nothing I can do right now. I hate feeling this way."

"I understand." Loke replied. "And I wish I knew what to say to make things better, but I just don't know what I can do."

"It's okay." Lucy said softly. "I'm just glad that you're here."

"Heh, you don't usually say that."

"Yeah, well, I just want some company right now. Thanks, Loke."

There was a moment of silence between the two of them. Then Loke gave a peculiar expression, like the was debating with something inside his mind. Finally, he looked up at the stars.

"You know, Lucy," he said, "if the worst should happen, then Alu may be our only chance."

Lucy blinked in surprise and looked at her Celestial Spirit.

"What do you mean?" she asked quickly.

"If Alu really is who I think she is," Loke said, almost like he was lost in a trance, "then I'm sure we're going to see her reach her full potential soon."

Lucy blinked. It wasn't like Loke to talk so philosophically. In fact, she would say that it was out of character for him. So why was he talking that way? And what did he mean when he was speaking of Alu?

"Loke, what are you talking about?" she asked.

Loke was about to answer when he suddenly jolted in alert.

"LOOK OUT!" he shouted.

The next thing Lucy knew, the Lion Spirit made a desperate lunge for her and tackled her away. The two rolled for about a yard, and there was the sound of a small explosion. When Lucy and Loke came to a stop, the Celestial Wizard looked over to see what happened.

What she saw made her gasp in terror.

Right where she was standing just a few minutes ago was a dark version of Leo, and his fist was planted straight in the ground. He then looked up and gave a wicked smirk.

"Pretty good reflexes, lion cub," he said.

Loke stared in shock when he saw his darker self. Lucy shuddered at the sight of that evil Loke. She then quickly gathered her wits and forced herself to stand up again. Loke noticed his key holder's action and followed her lead.

"Lucy, warn the rest of the guild!" Loke ordered. "I'll hold him off!"

"Right!" Lucy nodded. "Be careful, Loke!"

Lucy then made a dash towards the Fairy Tail guild hall. Neo Leo made an attempt to go after her, but he was intercepted by a Regulus punch by Loke. Lucy forced herself to not look back and to keep on running. Although she could hear the sounds of Loke fighting his dark self, she couldn't hesitate. If Neo Leo was here, then that meant that Ivan wasn't far behind. He was bound to show up at any moment.

Just as she thought this, Lucy got a horrible shock.

Just as she had made it to the edge of the pool and was about to head to the guild, she was cut off by a sudden wall of fire. She let out a startled shriek and staggered back away from it. She then looked around and saw that she was trapped inside a large circle of fire.

"Going somewhere, blondie?" a sinister voice asked.

Lucy looked sharply over to her right. Her blood immediately ran cold, and her face turned very pale.

Ivan was just a standing a few yards away from her. The look on his face was one of wicked triumph. And with the fire burning all around them, he had an even more ominous presence than before.

"Ivan." Lucy scowled nervously, grabbing her whip and flashing it out.

"What's the matter?" Ivan jeered. "You look scared. Can't say I blame you."

Lucy swallowed back her fear and grabbed the Lion's Key off of her belt. In a flash of light, she had transformed into her Lion's Star Dress. She then took a fighting stance and prepared herself.

"Seems you've changed since the last time I saw you." Ivan said. "Back then, you didn't seem cable of holding your own. And you certainly couldn't do that with your Magic."

"I'm not that person anymore, Ivan." Lucy replied sharply.

At that moment, something struck Lucy like a spear.

Why was Ivan even here? And why did he have this look of confidence about him?

Lucy glanced over at the fire that had blocked her before. A horrible feeling began to rise up inside of her when she realized that she recognized the flames. This wasn't just ordinary fire.

It was Dragon Slayer Fire.

Lucy then turned back to Ivan. The man seemed to know what she was thinking, and as if to prove a point, he raised his left hand and ignited a small ball of fire in the palm of it.

"I must say," he grinned evilly, "Dragon Slayer magic is quite amazing. I can see why your husband was such a strong wizard. His soul is rather incredible."

That's when Lucy realized what was going on. Her chest tightened in horror so badly that she couldn't breathe, her eyes widened to their largest size, and tears began to well up inside them.

"No…" she whispered fearfully. "No…you didn't…"

Ivan chuckled wickedly. He knew that she had figured it out by now.

Lucy winced for a moment as tears fell from her eyes. She then looked back up with a vicious and hurtful scowl.

"YOU MONSTER!" she shrieked.

With that, Lucy lashed out her Fleuve d'etoiles towards Ivan. Ivan stepped aside and then charged towards her, his fists alit with fire. Lucy managed to jump out of the way and spun around to kick Ivan in the face with a Regulus attack of her own. He blocked her leg with his fist, and intensified his fire. Lucy let out a scream of pain as the fire burned her shin. She stumbled away from Ivan and looked down for a second to see the extent of her injury. Since she had Regulus activated, the burn wasn't as serious as it could've been.

However, now that Lucy was distracted, Ivan took the chance to pull yet another one of his dirty tricks. He pulled three keys off of his belt and opened the Gates of their Spirits.

But the time Lucy realized what was happening, it was too late. Dark versions of Virgo, Ophiuchus, and Libra were standing right in front of her.

"Looks like you're going to be my third victim of Fairy Tail." Ivan smirked. "Strange that you're all related in some way. Although that second one wasn't much of a challenge. She got what was coming to her. At least you'll be joining her in the afterlife."

That remark made Lucy jolt in shock. What did Ivan mean by "joining _her_ in the afterlife"?

No.

That couldn't be.

Alu was…

No.

More tears spilled from Lucy's eyes, and her stomach wrenched painfully. First, her husband had his soul stolen, and now her daughter was killed.

She had lost her family once again. The pain of learning that was unbearable. It was like her heart had shattered inside her chest, and its shards were piercing her lungs and other internal organs.

But this feeling of loss and misery changed from defeat to enraged willpower. Lucy straightened herself up and ran forward with a cry of fury, lashing out her Fleuve d'etoiles as she did.

"YOU'LL PAY!" she raged. "I'LL MAKE YOU PAY!"

"Go on and try." Ivan jeered, taking delight in what he was seeing.

He then turned to his three Dark Spirits.

"Apprehend her," he simply ordered.

On that command, Neo Virgo, Ophiuchus, and Libra launched in to attack. As they did, Ivan then pulled out the rest of his keys.

"As for the rest of you," he said, "infiltrate the guild and capture all the wizards. I want Makarov to suffer. And what better way to do that then to torment all of his precious "children" right before his eyes."

With a swipe, Ivan opened all of the Gates.

* * *

 _Back at Mount Zonia…_

"Alu! Alu! Wake up! Please wake up!"

Alu grimaced and winced as something shook her awake. She struggled to open her eyes, but her strength was almost completely drained and her body felt like it had been run over by a train. Still, she managed to bring her vision into focus and saw that Violet and Happy were standing right beside her.

"Violet? Happy?" Alu whispered, her voice weak and shaky. "What happened?"

"Don't you remember?" Violet asked. "Your…Your father…"

It was then that Alu realized that both Violet and Happy were crying. Happy was the worst of the two. He was sobbing out of control and tears were falling down his cheeks.

In a single moment of horrible clarity, Alu remembered what happened just before she fainted. Her eyes widened with horror and despair.

Just a few yards in front of her, lying motionless on his back, was her father. He was now ash pale, almost as if he really was dead. Of course, he would've been better off dead. But now he was just an empty shell; his soul stripped clean away from him.

Tears welled up in Alu's eyes. She struggled to hold back the whimpers that so desperately wanted to escape her throat. She began to tremble as she somehow found the strength to get to her feet. She then shakily limped over to Natsu's body. When she reached him, and looked down on his lifeless form, her spirit broke like a burning twig.

She fell to her knees.

Her shoulders began to tremble and her breathing staggered with painful restraint. Finally, she couldn't hold it in anymore. Nor did she want to. She let her tears fall like they were unstoppable waterfalls and she fell over onto the Dragon Slayer.

She sobbed loudly and gripped her father's coat so tight that her knuckles turned white. His body, which was once warm with comfort and hope, was now cold and empty. She dug her face into his chest, like she used to do when she was a child had woken up from a bad dream.

Only this was a bad dream she couldn't wake up from. And Natsu's comforting arms didn't rise up to embrace her; to wrap around her and assure her she was safe. They remained at his sides like heavy stones.

"I'm sorry, Dad!" Alu cried. "I'm so, so sorry! This is all my fault!"

"It wasn't your fault, Alu." Violet whimpered. "Ivan did this to him. You can't blame yourself for this."

"Yes, I can!" Alu choked, her voice cracking in anquish. "Dad was only trying to save me! It's all my fault! I jeopardized my family and all of Fairy Tail! How could I have been so selfish?! I should've never left home! If I never went on this quest, Dad…none of this would've happened to him! But he's gone and it's all my fault! I…I just wish…I could take it all back! I want my dad back! I don't care if I have to give up my Magic! I just want my dad back!"

Alu sobbed even harder. Sadness, guilt and regret twisted together inside of her to the point where it felt like unbearable physical pain. All she could think about was how badly she messed up. She put her own father in danger, all because she couldn't accept the fact that she was just a half-wizard. His soul was stolen away from him, all because he sacrificed himself to save her, even though she knew she should've been the one to have suffered that horrible fate instead.

"Forgive me, Dad!" Alu wailed, her voice consumed with despair. "I never wanted this! I'm so, so sorry! I…I don't know what to do!"

At that moment, one of her Celestial Keys began to glow. In a whirl of light and water droplets, Aquarius appeared in front of her. Her expression was one of sympathy and determination when she saw Alu in such emotional pain. She knew Alu would react this way.

Aquarius then changed her expression.

 _"It's time,"_ she thought to herself.

Aquarius then hovered over the Alu on the opposite side of Natsu and lowered herself down so that she was sitting.

"Get up, Alu." Aquarius said to the crying girl. "You still have work to do. You must stop Ivan."

"I can't!" Alu sobbed, still keeping her face buried in her father's jacket. "Ivan's too powerful! I can't take him on!"

"Yes, you can." Aquarius sounded more serious. "You never gave up before, so why should you start now?"

"Are you blind, Aquarius?!" Alu wailed as she sat up. "My dad's soul is gone and it's all because of me! I'm just a pathetic half-wizard who can't even save the lives of those I care about! How do you expect me to…?!"

Aquarius brought her hand up and slapped the young girl's cheek. Alu winced as the hit stung her cheek, but Aquarius didn't remove her hand from Alu's face. Instead, she kept it there and forced Alu to look her in the eyes. Alu's expression turned from pained to shocked when she saw that Aquarius was looking at her, not with annoyance, or even contempt, but with some kind of honest conviction.

Violet and Happy both fell silent as they watched the scene before them. Both of them quivered and waited to see what Aquarius would do next.

"Stop your blubbering and listen to me, Alu." Aquarius said, her voice low yet strong. "Only you can defeat him. Because only YOU can open the Gate of the Dragon."

Alu held her breath as Aquarius continued.

"Did Ivan really think that just stealing the souls of a Celestial Wizard and Dragon Slayer would be enough to make him the Celestial Dragon Slayer? He's so consumed with hatred for Fairy Tail that he's become delusional. He's just a monster. He can't open Draco's Gate even if he got his hands on his key. But you can. You have it in your blood. You always have since before you were born."

"What are you saying, Aquarius?" Alu asked, her voice shaky.

"You thought all this time you were just some weak half-wizard?" Aquarius replied. "Well, I got news for you, you're not. Your powers are weak, yes. But there's a reason for that. Your soul is incomplete."

Alu's stomach clenched at that remark. Her soul was incomplete? How was that possible? What was Aquarius trying to tell her?

"If you really want to know the truth," Aquarius continued, "then open the Gate and summon Draco."

Aquarius removed her hand from Alu's cheek and pulled out something from the pocket on the right side of her skirt. Alu's eyes widened and she caught her breath when she saw that it was another Celestial Key. But this one was different than any other key Alu had seen before. It wasn't silver or gold. It was made of pure diamond. It had a fiery motif to it and Draco's symbol engraved in emerald green on the hilt.

"This is Draco's Key." Aquarius said firmly. "Take it, Alu. It's yours. Hurry and open the Gate of the Dragon. You're the only one who can do it."

Alu stared at the key for a moment, unsure of what to do. Finally, she narrowed her eyes in determination and nodded. She then reached out and took hold of the Diamond Dragon Key. She looked down at her father's lifeless form, reminding herself that she had to do this for his sake. She was afraid of what might happen, but she had to do it.

Clutching onto the Dragon Key with both hands, Alu brought it close to her heart and inhaled deeply, mustering up all of the Celestial Magic she had. She had a feeling she was going to need every last bit of it for this one.

Then, holding the key high up in the air, she shouted, "OPEN! GATE OF THE DRAGON! DRACO!"

Alu waited with baited breath for something to happen. But to her dismay, nothing came from that command.

"OPEN! GATE OF THE DRAGON! DRACO!" she shouted again, even louder.

Still nothing. Panic and despair began to well up inside her chest at a horrifying degree.

"PLEASE!" she wailed, tears spilling from her eyes again. "OPEN! GATE OF THE DRAGON! DRACO!"

Still nothing.

Alu dropped her arm and began to sob once again. All the hope that she had gained just moments before had dropped like a sack of stones into her stomach and vanished completely. Aquarius just looked on with sadden confusion. Even she couldn't understand why the Gate wouldn't open. Happy and Violet both turned way to conceal the tears they were crying.

All hope was lost.

"Please," Alu whimpered, clutching the key tighter. "I just want to save my dad. Am I really so weak I can't even do that? Please…open the gate…Draco."

There was a long silence. A single tear fell from Alu's eye and splashed onto the diamond key. A second later, the key began to glow a faint but pure white light.

 _"Alu."_

Alu jolted in shock and then froze. That voice…it was strong and radiant. She had never heard it before, but it felt very familiar at the same time.

 _"Do not give in to despair, little one."_

Alu snapped her head around for the source of the voice, but she just saw Aquarius, Happy and Violet, and her soulless father. There was no one else. But she knew she heard someone.

"That voice," she whispered.

Aquarius looked up.

"Alu?" she whispered.

 _"You can still open my Gate."_

His Gate? Wait, was this…?

"Draco?!" Alu cried out suddenly. "Draco, is that you?! Where are you?! I need you!"

That got everyone else's attention. For them, they couldn't hear a voice. Alu just seemed to be calling out to no one.

"Alu?" Happy whined. "W-What's wrong with her?"

Aquarius narrowed her eyes in a kind of hopeful suspicion.

Alu wasn't paying attention to any of that though. Her focus was solely on the voice that only she could hear.

 _"Open my Gate with your combined Magic."_

"Combined Magic?" Alu blinked.

Of course! Why didn't she think of it sooner? This was the DRAGON Key! Alu couldn't just use her Celestial Magic for this! She had to use her Dragon Slayer Magic, too!

She had never done this before, but if it meant saving her family, then she was going to take it. And this time, she knew that it would work.

With an eruption of willpower returning, Alu forcefully wiped the tears from her face and got to her feet. She then swiftly raised the Dragon Key high into the air once again. This time she summoned both her Celestial and Dragon Slayer Magic and forced them to collide together. With the clashing of two different powers at once, an aura of alternating aqua and orange began to shimmer around her.

But this process hurt worse than anything Alu had ever felt before. Both her Magic Powers were pulling towards each other, but also repelling against each other. As much as she tried to contain it, she couldn't hold back a cry of agony between gritted teeth.

But Alu fought through the pain. She could get through this. She was strong enough. This wasn't the time to be doubtful.

She was going to get through this.

A strange power began to slither down Alu's right arm, looking as if it entered her bloodstream. It was just like those other times when she got a boost of energy. Only this time there was much more of it, and it felt even stronger. The power raced down her arm with incredible speed and stopped for a moment in the center of her chest. It then branched off and continued to grow until Alu was one shining white image.

With that third power added, the two powers inside of Alu that had clashed against each other for so long finally merged together with ease.

The Diamond Celestial Key flashed into a bright ball of starlight that began to swirl down, up and around Alu like a large, endless ribbon of stars. The force it gave off was so great that it sent both Happy and Violet flying through the air. Aquarius struggled to keep herself from being flung back, while also trying to keep Natsu from tumbling across the floor.

Alu then keeled over and clutched her chest. Her heart was now beating hard and fast. It beat so fast that Alu was starting to feel sick. She stared with wide eyes at the light swirling around her. She couldn't scream. She forgot to breathe. Reality became a huge blur to her. Her conscious had left her body and flew back through time itself.


	32. Chapter 32: Alu's Awakening

**Chapter 33**

 **Alu's Awakening**

 _Alu, now transparent, found herself standing in the middle of a clearing that was nestled in the middle of a valley that was surrounded by tall cliffs. The sun was shining down from a clear blue sky. The grass and trees were all a rich green, and a light breezed rustled through the loose foliage._

 _But Alu hardly noticed all those things. Her attention was what was on what was in front of her._

 _She saw a little girl who looked just like her._

 _Or rather, she saw a little girl who looked just like she did when she was four years old._

 _She was barefoot and dressed in a ragged dress with torn leggings. Her pink hair was caked with dirt and her fair skin was plastered with mud._

 _But for someone in that condition, she looked quite peaceful._

 _She snuggled up against a large lizard-like creature. It was as black as the night sky, but the assorted star-white scales and silvery circle in the center of its forehead gave it a more radiant appearance. Its body was strong and sleek. It clearly showed that it possessed both great strength and power. But its golden eyes were soft and gentle. It looked at the little Alu look-a-like with warmth and love as she slept soundly._

 _That creature was a Dragon. There was no doubt about it. And it was no ordinary Dragon either._

 _It was Draco, the Celestial Dragon Spirit. Alu didn't have to be told that, she just knew it the moment she saw him._

 _As Draco looked at the little girl resting against him, he was also humming tune. Alu's eyes widened when she recognized it as the song that her parents used to sing to her when she was young. It was the exact same song._

 _"'When the darkness falls and casts out the sky, I'll be a bright starlight to guide you home, you are not alone.'" Alu said to herself. "It's the same lullaby. But…"_

 _Why was Alu seeing this? Why was she seeing herself with Draco? She had no memory of ever meeting a Dragon in her life, Celestial Spirit or otherwise. Was this some kind of coincidence? That was the only explanation she could think of._

 _That's when Alu remembered what Aquarius had told her before about how Draco had taken in a little human girl and raised her as her own._

 _That little girl who looked like Alu…was the Celestial Dragon Slayer? But how was that possible? And why did she look so much like Alu?_

 _As Alu thought of this, the image in front of her changed again._

* * *

 _This time, Alu's little clone was wide awake and talking to Draco. The younger Alu seemed to be just a bit older than before. While she looked cleaner than her previous appearance, her pink hair was even more unkempt than before, even without the dirt. Her cloths were still ragged and torn, and she looked like she had outgrown them a little bit. But she didn't seem to care._

 _She was smiling brightly at the Celestial Dragon and holding up a large diamond crystal. It was about a half foot long and was as thick as a cucumber._

 _"Look, Draco!" the Little Alu said happily. "Look what I found! It's a big diamond!"_

 _Alu blinked. This little girl's voice sounded just like her own, if not just a little more high-pitched considering her age._

 _"Well, that's quite a find, little one." Draco said to Young Alu, impressed. "What are you going to do with it?"_

 _"I'm going to keep it, of course." Young Alu replied with certainty. "This is my treasure."_

 _"Well then, you hang onto that treasure." Draco encouraged. "Just remember this: whatever you treasure the most, no one will be able to take it away from you no matter how hard they try."_

* * *

 _Older Alu was stunned._

 _Why was she seeing all of these images? And why did they feel so familiar? She knew she had never found a diamond crystal like that in her life. Then again, she almost felt like she had at some point._

 _Hold on, were these images…memories?_

 _Were these…_ _her_ _memories?_

 _Just as that thought crossed Alu's mind, the scene changed again._

 _This time, it was nighttime. The full moon lit up the sky with pale radiance and shone down on the earth below._

 _Alu saw her younger self again. She looked like she was almost ten years old now. She was crying against Draco with great distress. Draco himself looked very tired and weak. His body was transparent, like he was becoming a ghost._

 _Older Alu's eyes widened in horror when she realized that he was fading away._

* * *

 _"What do you mean you don't have long to live?!" Young Alu wailed. "Draco, what do you mean?!"_

 _"I told you, my dear," Draco said, his voice was weak and fatigued, "this world has been sapping my strength. I've managed to hold out for seven years, but I can feel my life force weakening. I'm sorry, Alu, but I'm afraid I won't last much longer."_

 _"No!" Young Alu shouted defiantly. "I won't let that happen! I won't lose my family again! There has to be a way I can save you!"_

 _"I think that the only way that could happen is if I get back to my world." Draco said solemnly. "But I don't even know how I got to this world in the first place."_

 _"We've got to try something!" Alu yelled. "I won't let you fade away! I won't give up!"_

 _"Alu…"_

 _"If you were able to get to this world then you can get back yours! I won't let this happen! We've got to try something! I'll do anything!"_

 _Young Alu then lifted her head up to the heavens, at all of the stars sparkling above._

 _"I KNOW YOU'RE ALL UP THERE!" she yelled as loud as she could, her little voice echoing though the stillness of the night. "I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME! DRACO IS HERE AND NEEDS YOUR HELP! YOU HAVE TO HELP HIM GET BACK TO HIS WORLD! I'LL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES! PLEASE SAVE DRACO! SAVE MY DAD!"_

 _At that moment, the moon began to grow brighter than before. Lunar rays began to wisp around in the sky and spiral into the center of that great sphere. Finally, a beam of white light shot down from it and it hit the earth with a mighty force. The impact sent Young Alu flying and she fell flat on her back._

 _"Alu!" Draco exclaimed._

 _Young Alu sat up and saw a large diamond gate right before her. On the doors were two ornately carved Dragons facing each other. In the center was a something that looked like a keyhole._

 _"That gate." Draco's eyes widened. "That's the gate that I found before I ended up in this world. It must connect this world to mine."_

 _"Then let's open it!" Young Alu said, scrambling to her feet and darting towards the gate._

 _Young Alu slammed herself up against the gate and tried to push it open. But it remained firmly shut. She tried pulling on it with all her strength, but the result was the same. She then resorted to her magic._

 _"SPIRIT DRAGON ROAR!"_

 _A stream of white star-dust came out of Alu's mouth and shot at the gate with great force. However, the gate wasn't even dented by that attack. But Young Alu wasn't going to give up. She tried all sorts of techniques to bust down the door._

 _"SPIRIT DRAGON TALON SLICE! WING ATTACK! DANCING BLADES! SWORD HORN! CRUSHING FANG!"_

 _Again and again, Young Alu tried every attack that she could think of, but nothing worked. The door remained unscathed and tightly shut._

 _Finally, Young Alu collapsed to the ground, panting for air and rubbing her head to try and soothe a bruise on it. Even she could see by now that no Dragon Slayer power she had was going to open that gate._

 _But just as she was about to give in to despair, Draco came up beside her._

 _"Alu," he said, "I think we need a key to open this door."_

 _"A key?" Young Alu asked hopefully._

 _"I'm not quite sure," Draco replied, "but if we combine our powers together, we might be able to open this gate. But we'll need something to use as a key."_

 _At the sound of that suggestion, Young Alu perked up and reached inside the pocket of pants. She pulled out the large diamond crystal and held it up for Draco to see._

 _"Will this work?" she said eagerly._

 _"It's worth a try," the Celestial Dragon nodded. "Now concentrate. Let your magic flow."_

 _Young Alu obeyed and closed her eyes. She began focusing all of her powers into the gate before her, and the crystal in her hand. Draco channeled what remaining strength he had and sent it into his foster daughter. The two began to glow a starry-white aura that grew brighter and brighter by each passing second._

 _At the same time, the crystal in Young Alu's hands began to change shape._

* * *

 _As Alu watched her younger self and Draco prepare themselves to open the Gate, she looked down at the key she was holding._

 _In this moment, it all made sense to her._

 _The Diamond Key. It was made by the crystal she found the Past Alu found._

 _No, that Alu wasn't a different version of her. It was HER from another life._

 _And just like with Aquarius's Key, Draco's Key was forged with the power of a Celestial Wizard and Celestial Spirit._

 _Only Draco's Key was different from the other keys. It wasn't just forged with Celestial Magic alone. It was forged with Dragon Slayer Magic, too._

 _Alu then remembered the Prophecy she and her father had found in Mount Zonia._

 _"The Celestial Dragon will reawaken when the souls of a Celestial Wizard and Dragon Slayer become one and whole." Alu quoted to herself. "And I am the daughter of a Dragon Slayer and Celestial Wizard. I'm their souls made one and whole. I understand now. I found my missing piece. I know what Aquarius was trying to tell me. I now know who I am, why I'm here, and what I must do."_

 _A brand new confidence flowed through Alu and she raised the Dragon Key to the Gate before her. At the same time, her past incarnation did the same thing._

 _Together, the Alus from the past and present shouted in commanding unison:_

 ** _"OPEN! GATE OF THE DRAGON! DRACO!"_**

 _Draco's gate opened, and Alu was gently wrapped in a warm light._

* * *

Alu's consciousness returned to her present self. She cried out as a brand new wave of Magic flowed through her. The ribbons of starlight swirled all around her until she was engulfed in a pure white light. In that light, Alu began to transform. The Diamond Key had vanished from her hand and merged itself into her body.

At the same time, another figure began to emerge from the light. It slowly began to morph until it took on the form of an enormous Dragon that nearly filled up the whole cavern. A Dragon that was as black as the night and covered with star-white scales with a silvery circle in the center of its forehead. Its body was strong and sleek, showing that it possessed both great strength and power.

And its eyes were radiant gold.

"Is that Draco?!" Violet gasped in both fear and amazement.

When the Dragon had fully transformed into his proper form, he looked down at the light containing the young Wizard girl.

"At long last you have awakened, Alu," he said in a deep, powerful voice.

The light surrounding Alu faded away, revealing that she had changed completely. She still retained her human form, but her features had all changed dramatically. Aquarius, Violet, and Happy all stared with shock and wonder when the saw Alu's new form.

Her outfit consisted of a one-piece white swimsuit-like material that reached up to her neck and went down just past her thighs. Around her waist was a black, short, open skirt, and on her feet were red ankle high sandals. Around her eyes as well as on her knees, arms, and on both sides of her torso were patches of white dragon scales. The scales on her right arm were also dyed green in the shape of her Fairy Tail guild mark.

On each side of her outfit were openings, revealing her dragon scales. Covering her chest and abdomen was a large green breastplate that opened up in the back. On her shoulders and lower legs were blue and gold guards. Her hair, which was slightly longer, was now completely emerald green, and she wore a lavender circlet around her head with Draco's symbol decorating the center of her forehead.

"A-Alu?!" Happy gasped. "What's happened to her?!

Aquarius smiled.

"This Alu's true form," she said. "The Celestial Dragon Slayer. At last, she has regained her true power."

Alu slowly turned back around to the others and opened her eyes. They were now both brilliant cyan, and her pupils were slits, just like a Dragon's. She looked more powerful and confident than she had ever before, and there was a strong radiance of some kind of Magic Power coming off of her like waves.

She then raised her arms. A white and gold aura began to appear around her. A Magic Circle formed at her feet and immediately spread out to a five-yard radius. On the edge of the Circle, the signs of the Zodiac emerged.

When the Circle was complete, Alu began to chant in a clear, strong voice.

 _"O, Celestial Spirits of the Zodiac with whom I have a pact! Hear me, the Celestial Dragon Slayer, and answer my summons! I beckon you to my side at once! Lend me your strength to seal away the wicked! Open, Gates of the Zodiac!"_

All at once, the imagines of the Zodiac Spirits began to appear in rays of golden light. Aquarius inhaled deeply as a golden aura appeared around her and she hovered over to her place in the outer ring of the circle. Violet and Happy just watched in amazement.

Then the Zodiac Spirits all emerged form their golden domes: Leo, Aries, Aquarius, Pisces in their true forms, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Libra, Virgo, Taurus, Gemini, Capricorn, Cancer, and even Ophiuchus all emerged. But they had also changed from their regular forms. They retained their physical appearances, but they were now donned in armor that looked like it was made out of silver and gold. They each had a set consisting of a headpiece, a chest-plate, arm and leg guards, and shoulder plates. And each of their armor had their Zodiac insignia's on them. They looked like ancient warriors coming from the distant past to aid the one who had summoned them.

"Whoa!" Happy screeched with bafflement. "Alu summoned all of the Zodiac Spirits without their keys?! Even Ophiuchus?! And she's not keeling over?! Where'd all that Magic come from?!""

"I sense a lot of power emanating from her now!" Violet replied. "Is this her true Magic?!"

The moment the Zodiac Spirits all appeared and looked at Alu, they all bowed down respectfully like they were knights bowing before a queen. Alu lowered her arms and smiled when she saw all of the Zodiac Spirits assembled together. Seeing them all together made tears of happiness rise up in her eyes.

"At last, you have returned to us, Celestial Dragon Slayer and Draco." Leo said with pride. "We are reunited as one."

Alu nodded in agreement. Then she turned her face upwards and raised her right hand high above her head, pointing straight at the ceiling.

"I'm afraid we do not have time for a reunion at the moment," she said. "Fairy Tail is in danger and two unfortunate wizards have had their souls stolen. Spirits of the Zodiac, I beseech you to follow me and seal away this wickedness."

All of the Zodiac Spirits stood tall, every one of them looking eager to fight for justice.

"Draco, open a path for us!" Alu commanded. "We must hurry!"

Draco gave one flap of his mighty wings and rose up on his hind legs. He let out roar and a star-white transport circle appeared high above the whole group.

"Let us make haste!" he commanded. "Follow me!"

All at once, Draco took off, heading straight for the roof of the mountain towards the circle. The Celestial Spirits present all began to glow gold once again and flew off behind him.

"Violet!" Alu called to her Exceed friend. "Please lend me your wings!"

"Yes, Alu!" Violet replied eagerly.

Violet immediately summoned her Aera Magic and soared over to grab Alu by the back of her outfit. She then lifted Alu off the ground and they both shot straight up towards the opening.

"Happy, c'mon!" Violet called back.

"A-Aye, sir!" Happy stuttered.

The little blue Exceed only hesitated for a moment before flying up to join Alu and Violet. As they approached the opening the Zodiac Spirits were taking, Alu looked down at the lifeless form of her father. She grimaced as he grew smaller and smaller.

 _"I'll be back, Dad,"_ she promised silently. _"And I'll bring your soul back with me. I promise you, I'm going to make things right this time."_

Finally, Alu, Violet, and Happy all entered the rift and it closed behind them.

* * *

 _At Fairy Tail…_

Before an hour had past, all the members of Fairy Tail were bound with Magic Sealing Stones and ropes, gagged, and were hauled out into the open. The Neo Zodiac Spirits had snuck into the guild hall and apprehended everyone inside without so much as a fuss. The strongest wizards were the first to be taken down, then the weaker ones were captured, too. By the time everyone knew what was going on, it was too late. They were all tied up and dragged out kicking and screaming with all the might they had. Once they were all out, Ivan used the stolen Dragon Slayer Fire to set the whole ablaze.

However, Lucy was the worst off. She was beaten down, bruised, and covered with scratches that were still bleeding. As hard as she tried to stand her ground against three Neo Zodiac Spirits, it was too much for her. And Neo Leo suddenly joining the battle didn't make things any better. They just seemed to have unbelievable strength and power.

What made matters worse was that she couldn't summon any of her Zodiac Spirits. She tried summoning Taurus and Scorpio, but neither one appeared. And when she tried calling to Loke for help, he didn't answer. Why couldn't she summon any of her Spirits all of a sudden? And why did Loke just disappear in the middle of his fight with Neo Leo?

Not that it all mattered now. Lucy was being held up by Neo Leo like some kind of trophy for all of the captured Fairy Tail wizards to see.

"Curse you, Ivan!" Makarov bellowed, fighting to get out of his bindings. "I swear when I get out of this, you're going to be sorry!"

"Don't get so worked up, old man, it's bad for your health." Ivan sneered. "Besides, what could you possibly do to me now. I'm the most powerful wizard in the world. From now on, YOU'RE the one who will be living in MY shadow. And I think I'll celebrate by letting you watch as I destroy every single member of this guild."

Makarov shook with fury.

Lucy, who was still conscious, lifted her head with all the strength she had and glared at Ivan.

"How pathetic," she said in a low voice. "You don't scare me at all."

Ivan snapped his gaze over to Lucy.

"How dare you speak to our master like that!" Neo Leo shouted.

Lucy ignored him and continued to stare at Ivan with anger and bitterness.

"You think you're so powerful now?" she said. "What kind of wizard needs to steal other wizards' powers? I'll tell you: a cowardly one."

Ivan's eyes flashed at that remark. He then sent out a wave of Shikigami Magic that was coated with Fire Magic. It hit Lucy straight in the stomach, forced her out of Neo Leo's grip, and sent her flying. She painfully hit the ground and tumbled for a few feet, just stopping at the edge of the lake. She gasped in agony and grimaced, unable to get up or even so much as move.

All the other wizards who were watching this tried to protest, but there was nothing they could do. Not even the S-Class wizards like Gildarts or Erza could get out of their Magic Sealing Stones.

They were helpless.

Ivan then marched right up to Lucy and looked down with a hateful scowl.

"You think you have the right to talk back to me?!" Ivan shouted. "Your guild is defeated and your family is gone! You're the one who's pathetic right now!"

Ivan then gave a wicked grin that sent a chill down Lucy's spine when she saw it.

"And I'll make you the example of what is going to happen to the rest of the guild!" he said, igniting his left fist with Dragon Slayer fire. "Consider it mercy. At least you won't be around to see your dear guild mates fall."

All Lucy could do was watch as Ivan rose his fist up and poised to strike her down.

"IVAN, DON'T YOU DARE!" Makarov roared.

Ivan brought his fist down and Lucy shut her eyes out of reaction. She tensed herself as she waited for the blow that would smash her skull in.

However, before Ivan landed that terrible punch, a female voice suddenly rose up in a battle cry.

"SPIRIT DRAGON SCALE SHEILD!"

Before Ivan knew what was happening, a white, glittering sphere suddenly appeared around Lucy and blocked his attack. It also sent him flying backwards as the impact forced him away.

Lucy opened one eye to see what was going on, and then both her eyes snapped opened when she saw she was in some kind of force field. Outside of it, standing protectively in front of her, was a figure in dazzling Celestial Garments.

All of the Fairy Tail wizards stopped and stared at what they were seeing. A gleaming human with Dragon scales and Celestial Garments stood before them.

The figure then turned back to look at Lucy and lowered the shield.

"Sorry I took so long, Mom," she said. "I'm a little late."

Wait, this girl just called Lucy, "Mom"?

It couldn't be…

"Alu?" Lucy whispered hopefully. "You're alive?"

Alu gave a quick grin and winked.

"I'm ready to fight!" she said confidently. "And I brought some back up!"

All at once, all of the Zodiac Celestial Spirits appeared around Alu. And then with a wonder of all wonders, Draco came flying out of the night sky and landed in the lake, causing the water to splash up behind the rest of the Zodiac Spirits and give the impression of a wall. Draco then let out a roar that echoed throughout the whole city of Magnolia, and seemed to shake the heavens themselves.

"What?!" Ivan stared with disbelief. "How are you still alive?!"

"I told you, Ivan!" Alu shouted defiantly. "I won't die until my family is safe from you! And that includes my Fairy Tail family, too!"

Alu then raised her right hand and ignited it with white star fire. She narrowed her eyes menacingly and clenched her fists.

"And for what you did to my mom, I'll give it back to you a million fold!" she yelled. "No one hurts my mom and dad and gets away with it!"

Ivan looked nervous only for a moment before scowling and grabbing his keys off of his belt. With a single swipe, he summoned all of the Spirits in his arsenal. They all appeared right in front of him with evil expressions. They were just so eager to destroy Alu and her Spirits.

Alu stepped back nervously for a moment. The aura of these Neo Zodiacs was different than before. They were definitely more powerful.

She suddenly felt afraid of Ivan again. She wasn't sure if she could take him on. She lost to him so many times before, what if…

Before she could think any further, Alu felt a hand grab her shoulder. She turned to see Aquarius beside her.

"You're not that person anymore, Alu," the Water Spirit said confidently. "Remember who you are now. You've got the power to do this."

Alu blinked before turning away. She then closed her eyes and took a deep breath. As she did, she remembered what Natsu had said to her before he gave up his soul.

 _"Keep fighting on. Protect Fairy Tail."_

"I will, I promise." Alu said to herself.

That's right. Her father had faith in her, even when she took him for granted. And he still has faith in her. She wasn't going to let him down. And not just Natsu, but also Lucy. Alu's mother was here, and she needed her help. For so long, Alu had always been sheltered and protected by her mother. But now, it was Alu's turn to save both her mother and father.

They needed her now more than ever.

 _"I owe them my life,"_ she reminded herself. _"If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't even be here. They gave a second chance at life. I won't let them down. I'll do this for them."_

That alone gave Alu courage again.

She then stepped forward in a challenging and stared straight at Ivan.

"You listen up over there, coward!" she shouted confidently. "Instead of hiding behind your shields, you better come and fight me yourself! 'Cause I want you to take a good look at the power you've tried to steal! I'm Alu Layla Dragneel, daughter of Natsu and Lucy Dragneel, wizard of Fairy Tail, and the Celestial Dragon Slayer reborn! And I'm ready to show you my true power!"

With that, Alu let out another battle cry and darted forward, her hands blazing with Celestial Dragon Slayer Magic.

"ZODIAC'S, CHARGE!" Leo commanded.

On that, all of the Zodiac Spirits ran close behind the young girl.

At the same time, Ivan's Dark Spirits ran out to intercept them.

The fight for Fairy Tail was about to begin.


	33. Chapter 33: Fairies, Tigers, and Spirits

**Chapter 33**

 **Fairies, Tigers, and Spirits**

"Alu!" Loke shouted, running up beside the girl. "We can handle the Neo Zodiac! You and Aquarius do something about that fire!"

"Got it, Leo!" Alu saluted. "C'mon, Aquarius!"

"Don't boss me around, scruff munchkin!" Aquarius snapped teasingly. "Let's just get this over with!"

Alu's army of Zodiac Spirits clashed against Ivan's in just a few seconds. Before anyone knew what was happening, Spirits from both sides were fighting against their opposites with furious power.

Alu and Aquarius managed to get around the fighting and headed straight for the burning Fairy Tail guild hall. As soon as they reached it, Aquarius shot a tremendous wave of water out of her silvery urn. The mighty force of water doused the flames on the outside in just a few seconds. While she did that, Alu ran inside to deal with the flames that were burning the interior of the building. Working quickly, she ate all of the flames in just one single slurp like she was eating large pasta noodles.

 _"Boy, am I glad fire is a compatible element for me right now,"_ she thought to herself.

When she had eaten the last of the fire, Alu gave a huge exhale of content and hunched over. She then wiped her chin and smirked.

"Oh yeah, now I've got a fire in my belly," she said confidently. "Time to get back in the fray."

Alu ran out of the Fairy Tail guild hall and found Aquarius at the enterence.

"Aquarius!" she shouted. "Provide help where it's needed!"

"What did I say about bossing me around?" Aquarius sneered.

"WE DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS!" Alu screeched in irriatation. "GET IN THERE AND HELP THE OTHERS! NOW!"

"Okay, okay." Aquarius shrugged. "But just one thing."

"What's that?" Alu moaned.

The next thing Alu knew, Aquarius pounded her hard on the head. This forced her to fall to the ground, her face slamming into the pavement. For a few seconds, her head was swimming with pain and her vision was clouded with stars.

"THAT'S for summoning me with your blood!" Aquarius said scornfully. "Don't ever do something like that again, got it?!"

"Okay, okay." Alu groaned, rising herself. "I admit, I deserved that one. But that wasn't exactly pleasant for me either."

"Now, if we're done chit-chatting, I've got some phony spirits to wash away."

Aquarius then turned back to Alu and grabbed her arm. She helped Alu to her feet, much to Alu's surprise. And the girl was even more surprised when she saw that Aquarius was looking at her with a sincere expression.

"And you got a family to save," she said in a low voice. "Better make it count."

Alu blinked. She then nodded and gave a confident smirk.

"You bet," she said.

* * *

Just as Grey was thinking that he and the others should be joining in on the fight, the gag from his mouth suddenly loosened and then fell off. He then felt someone fiddling around with the Magic Sealing Stones that bound his hands behind his back.

"What the-?" he started.

He turned his head around to see who it was, and was greeted with a surprise.

"Ash?!"

"Hey, Dad." Ash said, grinning. "Hang on, I'll get you out in a sec."

Using his Ice Magic to freeze and shatter the cuffs, Ash managed to free his father. Grey brought his hands around to his front and rubbed his wrists.

"Thanks, Son," he said, "but how did you get here? And where's your sister?"

"Over here, Dad!" Ur replied.

Grey looked over to see Ur getting Juvia free from her gag and cuffs. And just beyond her, he saw Carol and Pantherlily getting Levy and Gajeel free.

But they weren't the only ones who were helping the Fairy Tail wizards.

The strongest wizards from Sabertooth were here as well: Minerva, Sting, Rogue, Lector, Frosch, Orga, Rufus, and Dobengal. Each and every one of them was working fast to free the captive Fairy Tail wizards.

"How did you-?" Grey blinked in astonishment.

"Tigers are really great trackers." Ash replied. "They found us and brought us back with them. Now, c'mon. Alu needs help."

Just as Ash said that, Alu suddenly ran up and stopped in front of all of them. Her face was alive with vigor and spirit.

"Get up, Fairy Tail and Sabertooth!" she encouraged. "Get up and strike back! We're not beaten! Not by a long shot! Take out the Neo Zodiacs! Leave Ivan to me! Now c'mon!"

It was just a few simple words. But they were put together, they seemed to give off an energy that everyone needed to get their spirits back. Especially since they were coming from Alu.

For a brief moment when she shouted those words, she looked just like her father. If Natsu were here, that's exactly what he would've said, too.

Alu still had the will to fight. And if she did, then they did, too.

On that rousing speech, every wizard from both guilds gave a holler of enthusiasm and leapt into action.

"NOW, DRACO!" Alu screamed to the Dragon in the lake.

Draco then reared up onto his back legs and roared. As he did, his hands began to glow a bright teal color.

"SPIRIT DRAGON, DIMENSION BARRIER!" he commanded.

Draco then slammed his hands into the ground. As he did, the magic swirling around his hands quickly spread out and the world around everyone changed. It became almost dreamlike with vibrant violet, blue and green colors, along with sparkling stars that danced around the dimension.

"What's this?!" Laxus exclaimed.

"It's a barrier that protects our world from damage!" Alu explained quickly. "As long as it's activated, our world won't suffer any destruction from our fight! But it only lasts for ten minutes' tops! So we gotta make this quick!"

"So we'll use that time to go all out!" Erza said with authority. "Don't hold anything back anyone!"

"YES, MA'AM!" everyone said in unison.

Erza then equipped into her Armadura Fairy armor before leading the charge of the strongest Fairy Tail wizards. Grey and Ash both threw off their shirts both created swords made of ice and went to assist Cancer against his fight against Neo Cancer. Juvia and Ur transformed into water and flowed through the charging crowd to get the battlefield to help Virgo with her dark self.

Gajeel summoned an Iron Dragon Club, Carol took two daggers off her belt and made them transform into large swords, and Pantherlily transformed back into his Battle Form and his sword grew to the right size for him to use. The three then charged in to help Loke fight off the Dark Leo. Meanwhile, Levy hurried to provide support where it was needed.

The three Strauss siblings transformed into their Take-Over forms and ran into the battle like wild animals to lend a hand. While Mirajane and Elfman took on Neo Pisces, Lisanna turned into her Cat Soul form and joined Gemini in their fight against their Neo selves. This proved to be the right choice. Because as Neo Gemini attempted to turn her into an animal, their spell was canceled out by her Animal Soul Magic. This gave her an advangate as well as Gemini, who immediately copied her powers and form to make themselves immune.

Gildarts stood up tall and slammed his fist into the ground, causing it to shatter underneath the feet of Neo Taurus, causing him to stumble and give the real Taurus a chance to attack with his battle axe. Cana and Romeo combined their Magic to enhance Romeo's fire as he charged into the fight Neo Scorpio in hand-to-hand combat.

Sting and Rogue both went into Dragon Force and led their guild toward the battle. All the Sabertooth wizards who where there followed them without hesitation.

"THIS IS FOR YUKINO!" they all shouted in unison.

In just a few moments, the atmosphere was ringing with the sounds of weapons clanging together, battle cries and Magic commands, and earth-quaking rumbles. Both Fairy Tail and Sabertooth were fighting with all they had to avenge the members that had suffered at the hands of these Neo Zodiac's master, and the true Zodiac Spirits fought alongside them.

"Aries!" Alu shouted as she kicked Neo Ophiuchus in the face. "Combo attack!"

"Right, Alu!" Aries replied.

Aries then kicked her Dark self in the stomach to give her some time to get to Alu. As soon as the two teamed up, Aries summoned her Wool Bomb. Now that she had a power upgrade, she summoned a whole lot more than she usually did.

"GO, WOOL BOMB!" she yelled.

Aiming as carefully as she could, Aries caught Neo Ophiuchus, Neo Virgo, Neo Cancer, and Neo Sagittarius in her fluffy pink wool. Rogue had been battling against Neo Sagittarius, and the moment he saw the Wool Bomb, he knew exactly what was going to happen.

"EVERYONE, GET OUT OF THE WAY!" he shouted to the others.

Hearing her command, the Fairy Tail and Sabertooth wizards all jumped back from the Wool Bomb. Once they were safe enough away, Alu took in a deep breath of air.

"SPIRIT DRAGON ROAR!"

Alu then let out a jet-stream of white star fire shoot from her mouth. It hit Aries wool, and caused the whole thing to explode. It was so immense that everyone had to stop fighting for a moment to shield themselves from the explosion. When it was over, they all stared in shock when they saw that the four Neo Spirits had been reduced to just their Shikigami dolls husks.

Alu grinned with confidence, but it only lasted for a minute. Because a few seconds later, the dolls began to transform back into the very Spirits she had destroyed.

"What?!" Alu gasped.

"Nice trick, little Dragneel." Neo Ophiuchus said mockingly. "But with our master's new power, we're practically invulnerable. You can't kill us anymore."

"Dammit." Alu scowled. "That means I have to take out Ivan."

It was then that Alu realized something. Ivan was nowhere to be seen.

Of course he would put himself someone safe while he let his Spirits do all the dirty work. No doubt he was close by, just watching the fight and keeping his Spirits from being destroyed.

Well, it was a good thing that Alu was a Dragon Slayer. Because along with her Magic also came the senses of a Dragon. And right now, here's were extremely sharp. It didn't take her long before she picked up that hateful man's scent.

"Alu!" a voice shouted from above.

Alu looked up and saw Violet hover above her.

"I saw where Ivan went!" the purple Exceed informed. "If we hurry, we can catch up with him!"

"Good job, Violet!" Alu said. "And I can find him with my nose! Let's go!"

Violet swooped then swooped down and grabbed Alu by the back of her armor. She then carried the girl up into the air.

"Alu!" Aries shouted as she watched the girl and Exceed fly away. "If you need any help, just summon anyone of us! We'll be at your side!"

"Thanks, Aries!" Alu shouted back. "I'll remember that!"

With that, Violet and Alu flew off to find their target. All the while, Alu had a determined expression on her face. Her biggest fight was coming, and she was ready.

 _"Now that I've got my powers and memories back, I know what I need to do,"_ she thought to herself. _"Ivan can run all he wants, but he can't hide from me. Today, I'm ending his terror. For my family. For Fairy Tail. For Sabertooth. For everyone. Just hang on, Dad. I'm coming to save you. And this time, I'll do it right."_

* * *

Meanwhile, Carla flew Wendy over the fight so that she could get to Lucy. Lucy, injured and exhausted, managed to have a small smile on her face. Wendy immediately got to work the moment she reached the fallen Celestial Wizard. Because of all of her years of honing her healing skills, many of Lucy's wounds were easy to mend.

"Hang on, Lucy." Wendy said as gently as she could. "We'll get you fixed up real soon."

"Don't worry, Wendy." Lucy exhaled deeply. "I'm okay, really. I've been through worse."

At the same time, Happy came soaring down from the sky.

"Lucy!" he cried. "Are you okay?!"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Lucy said, sitting up. "Are you okay, Happy?"

As if to answer that question, Happy flung himself into Lucy's arms and began to sob uncontrollably.

"I'm sorry, Lucy!" he whined. "Natsu…! Ivan got his soul! I tried to help, but…!"

"It's alright, Happy." Lucy comforted, stroking the little Exceed. "It wasn't your fault. Everything's going to be okay."

Just then, Lucy became aware that there was something large was behind her. She turned around and inhaled sharply when she saw that Draco had lowered his head down to her level.

"You're Alu's mother, are you not?" he asked, his voice full of warmth and kindness.

"Yes, I am." Lucy answered. "And you're…you're Draco, the Celestial Dragon."

Draco simply nodded. He then looked beyond Lucy and the others. Lucy and Wendy all turned to where he was looking and saw Alu being carried away by a purple Exceed. Judging by how tense and focused she was, they could easily guess that she had a clear objective in mind.

"Alu." Lucy whispered.

"She is going to fight the man who harmed her family." Draco informed. "She will need your help, Celestial Wizard."

Lucy looked back at Draco.

"I understand," she replied.

"Wait, Lucy." Wendy protested. "You shouldn't fight just yet."

"I haven't got a choice, Wendy." Lucy replied, getting to her feet. "I can't let Alu fight alone. And Ivan has Natsu's soul. I lost my family once, I'm not going to lose them again."

Wendy and Carla both wanted to persuade Lucy to reconsider her idea, but just one at her face, and they knew that there was no talking her out of it. She was going whether they wanted her to or not.

"Very well, Lucy." Carla said before turning to Happy. "You take care of her, okay?"

Seeing that Carla had addressed him, Happy immediately straightened himself up and stopped any more tears from falling from his eyes. This wasn't the time for him to be faint-hearted. He was a Fairy Tail wizard, so he had to act like one. Everyone was doing their part to help, so he had to as well.

"Aye!" he said stiffly.

With that, Draco lowered his head down to the ground.

"Climb on," he ordered. "I can take you to where they are."

Lucy nodded in understanding. With Happy's help, she mounted onto the Celestial Dragon and held on tightly as he took off. Wendy and Carla watched as the mighty beast flew off.

"I never thought I'd see a Dragon again." Wendy said softly.

"Now's not really the time to stop and admire it." Carla reminded. "We have to get back and help the others."

"Right." Wendy nodded.

With that, the Dragon Slayer of the Sky and her Exceed partner raced back to the fight to help the others. It was time for her to go from healer to warrior.

* * *

"SIS, LOOK OUT!" Ash yelled.

Ur turned around just in time to see Neo Virgo make a lunge for her. But before she could react, the Dark Maiden lashed her whip around the young girl's neck and tightened it. Ur let out a stifled cry before she began to choke.

"Oh, the look on your face is so exquisite, little Fairy." Neo Virgo said seductively. "Makes me want to see just how blue you can become."

Neo Virgo began to tightened the whip around Ur's neck even more. Ur struggled to breath, and her face was turning pale from lack of air.

"UR, NO!" Grey shouted.

Just as Grey was about to attack, Juvia let out a Water Whip that cut Neo Virgo's clean in half. The part that wrapped around Ur's neck loosened and the Water Wizard fell to the ground, gasping and coughing for precious air. Grey and Ash immediately rushed to her side.

"Ur, are you okay?!" Grey asked, his voice full of worry and panic.

"C'mon, Sis! Hang in there!" Ash said, he was just as worried as his father.

Ur stabled her breathing and whimpered a little.

Juvia, who had seen the whole thing, turned back to Neo Virgo with a death glare in her eyes. She was more than furious that someone did something so horrific to her family, and was smiling about it.

She raised her arms and summoned her Water Magic.

"Not my daughter, you bitch!" she snarled viciously at Neo Virgo.

That made both Grey and Ash tense up in surprise. That was incongruous of Juvia. Which proved even more that she was mad.

Neo Virgo simply laughed off the threat. That proved to be a mistake. The moment she did, Juvia attacked with fierce intensity. Neo Virgo was suddenly pelted with merciless water attacks. Juvia wasn't leaving an opening for Neo Virgo to attack either, she just kept hitting her. Her eyes were blazing with hatred, and her attacks reflected just how enraged she was.

Then the real Virgo appeared.

"Allow me to assist you," she said with dignity.

Using her power to drill holes, Virgo trapped her dark self in a deep hole. Before Neo Virgo could have the chance to escape, Juvia was already standing over the top of it.

"WATER NEBULA!" she yelled with passion.

With that powerful water attack, Neo Virgo drowned instantly, leaving behind just her Shikigami husk.

For a while, Juvia just stood where she was, panting with both fatigue and anger.

"Nicely done, Miss." Virgo said. "Anyone who laughs at another's pain deserves punishment like that."

Ash, who had been watching the whole thing, blinked a few times before swallowing hard. This was certainly a side of his mother that he hadn't seen yet.

"I think I now know what some kids mean when they say moms can be really scary," he said nervously.

"Especially when their protecting their kids." Grey grinned. "But I gotta admit, that was pretty cool."

Juvia then turned back to her family. When she saw that they were relatively okay, she gave a relieved smile.

"Nice job, Honey." Grey saluted playfully.

That made Juvia pause for a moment before blushing a little.

"Well, I just did the best I could," she said modestly.

However, the moment of victory soon shattered. Neo Virgo had regenerated and had appeared out of a hole she had created herself. This greatly shocked the whole Fullbuster family.

"Not bad," the Dark Spirit sneered. "But I'm afraid you can't beat me that easily."

"Ash, take care of Ur." Grey commanded to his son.

"Right." Ash nodded.

The coal-black haired man then stood up and hurried over to assist his wife. This was going to require some powerful Magic and he knew it. So as he ran up, black markings began to appear on his body, and his hair began to stand up. Ash eye's widened when he realized what his father was doing.

"Ice Devil Slayer Magic?" he whispered. "Things really are about to get intense."

* * *

"There's just no end to this!" Pantherlily said urgently.

"Yeah!" Carol panted heavily. "These Neo Zodiacs just keep coming back no matter what we do!"

"Well, there's not much we can do about that!" Gajeel shouted bluntly. "We just gotta keep fighting!"

"Right, Dad!" Carol nodded.

With that, Gajeel, Carol, and Pantherlily leapt back into the battle against Neo Leo, who had now regenerated at least three times by now.

Erza had been observing the whole fight, and she was beginning to see how tired everyone was becoming. At this rate, they would run out of Magic Power. Not to mention, Draco's Dimension Barrier would run out soon. If that happened, then Magnolia would be subject to destruction.

They were running out of time.

 _"Alu,"_ Erza thought to herself, _"It's all up to you. Please hurry."_

* * *

Meanwhile, Ivan was watching the whole fight from the top of a cliff that was just a quarter of a mile or so away from the guild hall. He chuckled with vile pleasure as he saw his Spirits fight against Makarov's "children".

"It won't be long before the wizards grow weary," he said snidely. "And those Zodiac Spirits that little half-wizard summoned will have to go back to the Celestial World eventually. When that happens, Makarov and his "children" will be sitting ducks. Nothing will stop me then."

"IVAN!" an angry voice shouted from behind.

Ivan looked up in surprise before turning around.

Alu was standing just a few yards away from him. Violet was hovering behind her. The look on Alu's face was one of untainted anger and hatred, and her whole body shook with fury. Her piercing cyan Dragon-like eyes scowled so deeply at Ivan that it was like she wanted to strike him down with just her stare.

"You again." Ivan said carelessly. "I should've known. You're a persistent little brat."

"Shut up, Ivan!" Alu snapped. "I'm here to take you down!"

"Hmph." Ivan grinned wickedly. "And just how to you plan to do that? You know I've got your father's soul. You kill me, you'll kill him and that Sabertooth Wizard, too."

"I know that!" Alu snarled. "But there's a lot about me you don't know! I'll get my father and Yukino's souls back! And after I do, I'm gonna take you down!"

"We ALL will!" another female voice said.

Both Alu and Ivan jolted in surprise. Alu turned around and gasped when she saw her mother come running up behind her. And it wasn't just Lucy. Happy was flying alongside her, and Draco, who had shrunk to the size of a polar bear, was running on all fours behind her.

"Mom?!" Alu exclaimed. "What are you doing here?!"

"Defending my family, that's what!" Lucy answered as she stopped next to her daughter.

"But-!"

"As your mother, I can't be the one who's depending on you to help me!" Lucy said sternly. "Besides, knowing how much of a cheater Ivan is, you're going to need help!"

"Aye." Happy replied. "Let's fight him together."

"Yeah, we're all here for you." Violet said encouragingly.

Alu stared for a moment. She then looked back at Draco, who looked at her straight in the eye. He didn't have to say anything; she knew exactly what he was thinking. He was here to protect her as well.

Alu gave a grateful smile.

"Thanks, you guys," she said.

"Oh, how touching?" Ivan drawled. "It's so sweet I'm feeling nauseous."

Alu and her group all turned and glared at him.

"Typical Fairy Tail wizards." Ivan continued. "You preach about nothing but the power of "love and family". Such trivial things. No wonder that little half-wizard is so weak."

"That's what you think!" Alu shot back indignantly. "But we're a family! Not to mention, we're Dragneels and Heartfillias! You mess with one of us, you mess with all of us!"

"And when we strike back," Lucy added, "we strike back hard!"

Draco snarled in response to that statement, showing all of his teeth.

"Is that so!" Ivan narrowed his eyes and gave a smug expression. "Then why don't you prove it! There's nothing you can do to stop me!"

Ivan then alit his hands with Dragon Slayer Fire and took a fighting stance. Seeing those flames reminded Alu of what Ivan did to her father, and it made her even more determined than before. Her father was counting on her. She couldn't let him down. She just wished she had the chance to tell him that.

Or maybe she did. Ivan had Natsu's soul, so he was technically here, too. If nothing else, it would make Alu feel better.

"Dad!" Alu shouted, making everyone blink in confusion.

Alu continued anyway. She just wanted to hope that her voice would somehow reach her father.

"Dad! I know you can hear me right now! Mom and I are here! Just hang on! I promise we will save you!"

* * *

 _Meanwhile…_

Natsu wasn't sure how long he had been unconscious. He slowly opened his eyes. He blinked a few times in confusion when he noticed that wasn't inside Mount Zonia. He was in some kind of dark, sickly green limbo.

"Where am I?" he asked, his voice sounding weak.

"Natsu!"

At the sound of his name being called by a familiar voice, Natsu turned to the direction it came from. What he saw made him stop in surprise.

"Uh, Yukino?"

It was Yukino. Only now she seemed to be different. She was still dressed in her usual Celestial Wizard garb, but her whole body seemed to be glowing a pale blue color. As Natsu looked at her, he noticed with a terrible shock that she was panting heavily. Her face was pale, and she had dark circles under her eyes.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked, concerned. "What's wrong?"

Natsu struggled to move so that he could go over and help the poor woman, but Yukino shot a hand out to make him stop.

"No, Natsu, stay back!" she begged.

"Why?!" Natsu asked, confused.

"I've been trying to slow down the merging process!" Yukino explained. "But Ivan keeps using my power! I don't have much left!"

"Hold on!" Natsu gulped. "Did you say, "merging process"?!"

Yukino didn't answer verbally, she just looked down at Natsu's feet. Natsu followed her gaze, and what he saw made his heart jump and his face go pale. He was still dressed in his usual outfit, only now he was glowing bright red. His feet looked like they were slowly disintegrating. His eyes followed the trail of particles and saw that they were mingling with another strand of small particles. He followed that trail and saw that it was coming from Yukino.

And only now did he realized just how tired he really felt. He knew he had been beaten down during his last fight in Mount Zonia, but this was worse than before. He barely had any energy. Ivan must've been using his power, too.

But that didn't explain why he and Yukino were dissolving, let alone merging.

"Yukino, what's happening to us?!" Natsu asked, trying not to panic.

"Our souls are in Ivan's right now!" Yukino said worriedly. "After he ensnared yours, he's been trying to merge us with his! If that happens, we'll never be able to go back to our bodies! We'll be stuck here forever!"

Natsu held his breath with horror.

"No way," he said in low voice.

"I've been trying to slow down the process!" Yukino went on. "But I'm running out of power! Ivan just keeps using it! Right now, we need a miracle if we're going to get out of this!"

"I know, but how?!" Natsu asked.

His mind was going a mile a minute. The situation was worse than he could have imagined. He didn't know how Ivan did it, but he must've somehow modified the Soul Stealing Curse so that this would happen. There had to be something that could be done to stop it. Natsu refused to let Yukino and himself vanish like this. There had to be something he could do.

But what? What could he do?

 _"Dad!"_ a voice called out through the darkness.

That voice sounded like…

As Natsu thought of that, images began to come into his head. He saw himself standing on the edge of a cliff. No, it wasn't him. It was Ivan. He must be seeing things through Ivan's eyes. That was the only explanation.

Then to Natsu's open-mouth surprise, he saw Lucy and Happy standing just a few yards away. Beside them was a young girl with emerald green hair, cyan eyes, and white patches of Dragon Scales. Hovering beside her was Violet, and behind the two of them was a black Dragon with starry scales.

Hold on. That girl…

 _"Dad! I know you can hear me right now!"_ the girl shouted.

"Alu?!" Natsu's eyes widened.

That was Alu. No mistake about it. He'd recognize her voice anywhere.

 _"Mom and I are here!"_ Alu went on. _"Just hang on! I promise we will save you!"_

That was enough. Just seeing Lucy, Alu, and Happy was enough to remind Natsu what he was fighting for. He had a family to return to, and he knew that if he let Ivan win, they would cry.

He wasn't going to let that happen. He couldn't give up, not now.

"There's gotta be something I can do," he said out loud to himself. "They're counting on me. Wait, I wonder…"

"Natsu?" Yukino asked.

"Yukino, keep slowing down the process as best you can." Natsu said. "I've got an idea. I just hope it works."


	34. Chapter 34: Spirit Dragon Soul Bound

**Chapter 34**

 **Spirit Dragon Soul Bound**

Lucy equipped into her Taurus Star Dress and summoned her Fleuve d'etoiles before she, Alu, Happy, and Violet all charged forward. Draco hung back so that he could create a ring of star fire around the area, making sure that Ivan wouldn't be able to escape this time. That was all he could do at this point. For he also had to keep his Dimension Barrier up for as long as he could. And already, Draco knew that he had only about five minutes left.

Ivan summoned forth both his Shikigami Magic as well as Natsu's Fire Dragon Slayer Magic. He then sent out multiple whips of this fiery Shikigami's to intersect his challengers. Lucy was the first to respond to the attack. She whipped her Fleuve d'etoiles around to deflect all of the strikes as best she could. Alu darted past her to try and get in close.

For her plan to work, she had to get up close and personal.

However, Ivan saw her coming and immediately sent out a black tentacle towards her. Alu jumped back before cartwheeling out of the way. As soon as she was on her feet, she tried to charge in again. But Ivan was now expecting her moves, and he wasn't going to let her get in close. Again and again he sent out more of those black tentacles to keep the girl at bay. At the same time, he was trying to hit Lucy with blazing Shikigami streams.

His whole strategy was to just keep them at bay. Now that Draco had cut off any ways of retreat, Ivan just wanted to hold them back. Not even Happy or Violet could get in close.

"Come on and fight me, you coward!" Alu screeched.

Just like she predicted, Ivan flashed angry eyes at Alu and turned most of his fire on her.

"YOU DARE CALL ME A COWARD, YOU OBNOXIOUS BRAT!" he roared.

"Well, you're certainly acting like one!" Alu shouted back, dodging his attacks. "You ain't the guts to fight me yourself! I may be reckless and hit first before thinking, but I at least fight my own battles!"

"Is that so?!" Ivan snarled, bringing his voice down just a little. "Then you're just going to end up dead! Once I've completely absorbed the soul of your father and that Sabertooth wizard, no one will stop me!"

"What?!" Alu stopped in shock.

That was a mistake.

The moment Ivan saw Alu freeze, along with her other companions, he unleashed a powerful fire attack that sent them all flying backwards. Lucy hit the ground hard with an agonizing "CRUNCH" and just laid flat on her back. Happy and Violet slammed into the trunks of trees before falling down to the earth. Alu tumbled across the dirt and rocks before coming to a stop. There she laid flat on her front.

"You heard me right, half-wizard!" Ivan sneered at Alu. "Even as we speak, the two souls I've stolen are being merged together. It won't be long until I've absorbed them both. So you can forget about saving your father."

"Never!" Alu shouted. "I'll never let that happen!"

"That so?" Ivan grinned wickedly. "Well, I guess I have to break your spirit even more."

Ivan then took another key off his belt. Alu's eyes widened when she saw that it was Neo Ophiuchus's Key. What was Ivan going to do with that?

"Ophiuchus!" he commanded. "Reveal your true form now!"

Alu looked over towards the Fairy Tail guild. What she saw made her blood run cold with horror and fear. Although she was far away, she didn't need to be close to see what was happening

Neo Ophiuchus was changing. She started out as just a small person from where Alu was standing, but that quickly changed. She immediately morphed into the form of a large red, yellow, and black snake that was the size of a small mountain. The moment she had fully transformed, a ball of lighting energy began to grow in her mouth.

"Draco might have his barrier up now," Ivan sneered, "but it's got to fall at some point. When that happens, Neo Ophiuchus will decimate not just Fairy Tail, but all of Magnolia. Of course, you can stop it if you're fast enough, but then it'll be too late to save your father. What will you choose, half-wizard?"

Alu didn't know what to do. For several terrified heart-pounding moments, she thought about what she should do. If she didn't stop Neo Ophiuchus, her guildmates would be wiped out. But is she didn't stop Ivan, Natsu and Yukino would be lost for ever.

Luckily, a faithful Celestial Spirit solved that predicament for her.

Ophiuchus, who had been hanging back and waiting to attack, suddenly sprang into action. The black snake quickly circled its body around her evil doppleganger and began to tighten her grip. This made Neo Ophiuchus tilt her head upwards, and its beam shot at the sky. Ophiuchus then lunged her head forward and pit down into the neck of Neo Ophiuchus, sending her poison out of her fangs as she did.

"Thank goodness." Alu whispered to herself.

"Of course, you have an Ophiuchus of your own." Ivan glared. "No matter. It'll have to return to the Spirit World soon. Then you'll be left without your little tools. Then Fairy Tail's destruction will be within my grasp."

Alu snapped her head around to Ivan, her eyes blazing with anger.

"How did you get to be such an awful man?!" she suddenly asked. "You're Makarov's son, aren't you?! I'd think you would want to help Fairy Tail! So why?! What purpose does this fight even have?!"

"Simple, half-wizard!" Ivan scowled. "So I could finally rise above my father! Surely, you of all people know what it's like to be overshadowed by your parents! Knowing that no matter what you do, nobody will recognize you as an individual and just as the child of someone supposedly better than you! Well, I won't settle for that! I won't stay in Makarov's shadow anymore!"

"THAT'S what you're pissed off about?!" Alu stood up furiously. She couldn't contain the rage building inside her. "You hurt my family just because you thought you felt second rate?! That just makes you sound like a spoiled brat!"

"WHAT'D YOU SAY?!" Ivan bellowed.

He then sent out a fiery wave of Shikigami whips towards Alu. Alu stood her ground and summoned a Scale Shield to protect herself. With fierce hatred, Ivan threw all the power he had into that attack in an effort to shatter her barrier.

"I admit I know what it's like to feel overshadowed by your parents sometimes, so I can sympathize with you!" Alu said fervently. "But unlike you, I never wanted to destroy them! I just wanted to be like them! And after what you did to them, I'd rather lose my Magic than lose my family!"

Lucy's eyes widened at that statement. Alu's face showed no sign of half-heartedness or hesitation. She really meant what she said.

"You'd give up your powers for trivial bonds?!" Ivan shouted, befuddled by what he heard.

"They're not trivial!" Alu shot back. "It's because of my mom and dad that I'm even here! They always came after me, even when I was a pain in the ass! More than that, they gave me a second chance at life! They never gave up on me!"

Alu then swung her arms out forcefully. This make her shield shatter and scatter the Shikigami whips. She then set out in a dead sprint towards Ivan.

"WHICH MEANS I'M NOT GIVING UP ON THEM!" she yelled.

Seeing that Alu was getting closer, Ivan sent out a jet-stream of fire towards her. Alu stopped only to raised her left hand. The fire hit some kind of invisible barrier and spread out away from her. It was such an intense flame, but Alu was blocking it effortlessly.

"Impossible!" Ivan shouted. "How did you get so powerful all of a sudden?! You're just a half-wizard!"

"You're right!" Alu scowled confidently. "I AM a half-wizard! But not in the sense that you think! I'm half-Celestial Wizard! Which means I have my mother's love and grace! But I'm half-Dragon Slayer, too! That means I have my father's strength and courage! Both of their souls live in me! Their power flows through my veins! All thanks to them, I'm the Celestial Dragon Slayer reborn!"

Alu's right hand and arm began to glow a bright golden color.

"And this is my true power!"

Alu pushed through the fire with all her strength and ran straight for Ivan. When she reached him, she swiped the fire away. She then brought her right hand around and aimed straight for Ivan's chest.

"SPIRIT DRAGON-!"

But before she could strike, Ivan unexpectedly dodged to the side.

Alu stumbled forward before Ivan shot his hand out and grabbed her by the back of her neck. He then yanked her back, making her choke. Alu was then slammed into the ground flat on her back. Before she had time to get up, Ivan stomped a foot down on her stomach, knocking the wind out of her.

"You talk too much, brat!" Ivan spat. "And I won't be lectured by a child! I swore I would destroy Fairy Tail and make Makarov suffer!"

Alu watched as Ivan raised his right fist and ignited it with Dragon Fire.

"AND I'LL START BY KILLING YOU!"

Ivan moved in for the finishing blow.

"DON'T KILL HER, PLEASE!" Lucy cried out in desperation.

Alu braced herself for Ivan's fist to smash her face in. If this was the end, she wasn't going to look away. She was going to die with dignity.

However, much to everyone's surprise, Ivan suddenly stopped. His fist stopped just an inch away from Alu's face, and the fire around it went out. His arm shook as he strained to land that crushing blow, but he couldn't.

"Wh-What's going on?!" he growled with frustrated restraint. "What is this?!"

It was then that Ivan heard an angry voice inside his head.

* * *

"You bastard!" Natsu shouted, fully enraged. "How dare you threaten my family with my power! I won't let you kill Alu, Lucy, or anyone else, ya hear me?!"

Yukino watched Natsu in awe. She didn't know how he did it, but the Dragon Slayer had somehow managed to tap into Ivan's strength. And now Natsu had some control over this man. At least enough to keep him from killing Alu.

However, she soon realized something else.

"Natsu!" she cried out in terror.

Natsu looked down at himself, and his blood ran cold again.

Because he was now in control of Ivan to a degree, the merging process he and Yukino were going through was speeding up. In just a few seconds, they were both up to their knees in particles, and they were only disappearing faster.

"Natsu, I can't slow it down anymore!" Yukino said, panicked.

"I-It'll be alright, Yukino!" Natsu stuttered, trying to keep himself from panicking. "We'll get out of this somehow!"

Of course that was easier said than done.

If something didn't happen soon, Natsu and Yukino would be goners.

* * *

Alu blinked when she realized what was going on.

Even when he was inside this evil man, Natsu was still watching over her. He was still protecting her.

 _"Dad,"_ she thought to herself, her heart glowing with warmth.

Just then, a whip of solidified water shot out of what seemed to be nowhere and grabbed Ivan's arm, pulling him up and off of Alu. Alu looked over and saw that Lucy had gotten back on her feet and was holding Ivan back with the strength she had in her Taurus Star Dress form.

"Don't ever touch my daughter again!" Lucy hissed.

"Do it now, Alu!" Draco shouted from where he was.

Alu blinked in realization. This was her chance.

Alu quickly leapt to her feet and her right arm immediately began to glow gold once again.

"SPIRIT DRAGON SOUL BOUND!" she cried.

With a huge amount of effort, Alu slammed her right hand straight into Ivan's chest.

They both fell still.

Everyone around them, save for Draco, stopped and stared with utter shock.

* * *

Alu, now glowing as white as a star, opened her eyes and saw that she was in some kind of sickly green limbo.

"This is Ivan's soul?" she whispered. "It's awful."

"Alu?!"

Alu quickly over to where she heard her name and gasped in mixed relief and horror. Natsu and Yukino's souls were now right in front of her, only about an arms length away. But what made Alu fearful was that they were both solid only from the waist up. Their legs had dissolved completely, and the fragments of them were mingling together in a jumble between the two of them.

But despite that, Alu couldn't help but smile. They still had a chance.

"Dad, Yukino!" she cried happily.

"Alu, how'd you get in here?!" Natsu asked, completely baffled.

"I'll explain later." Alu replied. "Right now, let's get you guys out of here. Will you come with me?"

"Of course, we will." Yukino replied, eyeing her disappearing body nervously. "Do you have to ask?"

"Yeah, it's part of my Magic." Alu explained quickly. "Both sides have to consent to this. Now will you both come with me?"

"Yeah." Natsu nodded.

Alu grinned and offer the two of them her hands. Natsu reached out and took Alu's right hand.

"C'mon, Yukino." Alu said gently. "You've been here long enough. And besides, Rogue's waitin' for ya."

At the sound of that name, Yukino smiled warmly and nodded. After all she had been through, she wanted to see Rogue again. More than that, she wanted to be near him and be held in his arms.

She wanted to see Sabertooth and everyone in it again.

She reached out and took the young girl's hand.

"Okay, hold on tight!" Alu ordered.

* * *

Alu suddenly tensed her body and pulled with all the strength she had. Ivan let out a painful howl as she yanked both Natsu and Yukino's souls right out of him. Lucy gasped in both fear and amazement as Alu stumbled back, clutching two souls that were almost fused together. One was bright blue, and the other radiant red. Lucy released her hold on Ivan and he fell to the ground, trembling with the shock of having two souls pulled out of him.

Alu panted heavily for a moment before turning her attention back to the souls in her hand. She then held onto them with both hands and began to slowly pull them apart. As she did, both Natsu and Yukino's painful cries came from them as they souls were being forced to divide.

"I'm sorry I'm causing you pain." Alu whimpered shakily to the orbs. "But it's the only way. Please try to endure it a little longer."

In five seconds, Alu had managed to separate the two souls, making them whole entities once again. She breathed unsteadily and tears began to form in her eyes. For some reason, she wanted to cry right now.

"I made it in time," she said. "Thank goodness. I made it."

Alu then brought the two souls close to her heart, where they both willingly merged with hers. Alu then let out a deep breath of air and released the tension in her body. She then looked back at her mother and smiled.

"It's alright," she said brightly. "Their both safe. I just need to return their souls."

Lucy stared at her daughter for a moment, her eyes shimmering with astonishment. She wasn't expecting Alu to pull off something like that. But she did. Against all odds, and when all hope of saving Natsu and Yukino was all but gone, Alu somehow pulled though.

Just like Natsu would have. And for a moment, Lucy looked at Alu, and saw Natsu.

Alu was just like him.

Lucy couldn't help but smile proudly.

"Alu," she said softly. "You really are your father's daughter."

Alu beamed at that compliment.

"No!" Ivan suddenly growled, rising himself off of the ground. "I will not be defeated!"

Realizing they weren't out of danger yet, Alu and Lucy braced themselves for another attack. Ivan crouched down on all fours like some kind of savage animals, and fixed Alu with a hateful scowl. His eyes were wide and crazy, showing that he had definitely went from mad to insane.

"I swear I'll put an end to you!" he said viciously. "I won't rest until Fairy Tail's destroyed!"

"Fairy Tail will never fall to you!" Alu shot back. "Never I say!"

"It will fall!" Ivan retorted. "I'll make sure of it! WITH YOUR SOUL!"

Ivan raised his right hand quickly and shot out a Soul Stealing tentacle. Alu readied herself as that horrible thing snaked it way towards her at an incredible speed.

But just as it was about to reach her, it stopped. Then it began to slowly disintegrate into a golden bubble-like substance.

What happened next was one of the most horrific things Alu had ever witnessed in her life.

It wasn't just the tenticale that was dissolving. The same thing was happening to Ivan.

"Wh-What's happening to me?!" Ivan trembled, clearly showing he was terrified. "I feel like I'm disintegrating! What did you do to me, you whelp?!"

"You did to yourself, Ivan!" Draco's said firmly. "The moment you stole those souls; you broke a sacred rule of Magic! And now, you're paying the ultimate price! This is what your hatred and lust for power has brought you! Your existence will be wiped from this world forever!"

"NO!" Ivan panicked. "THIS CAN'T BE! CURSE YOU! CURSE YOU, ALU DRAGNEEL!"

With those final words, Ivan completely vanished. Not even any articles of his clothing remained. All that he left behind on the grass were the blood red Celestial Keys.

For a few moments, everyone just stood where they were, staring at the spot where Ivan had been just moments ago.

Alu swallowed hard to fight off her feeling of fright. Despite what she had said about killing Ivan before, she realized early on that she could never really bring herself to kill someone, at least in cold blood. Not only that, but she never thought she would see anyone disappear like that. Their entire existence had been wiped from this world, and she felt responsible for it.

And while Ivan was a horrible man, she shuddered at the thought of being responsible for somebody's demise.

Just then, Alu heard the sounds of violet screams and yells coming from a distance. She and Lucy immediately snapped their heads around and saw that the Neo Zodiac's were writhing and twisting in agony. All the other wizards had stopped fighting because they were all to dumbfounded by what was going on.

"Those Spirits are out of control!" Alu quickly deduced. "Now that Ivan's gone, they have no Master!"

"Alu!" Draco called out. "The Barrier's only got one minute left! You have to end this now!"

Alu turned to look back at Draco before nodding in understanding. She then planted her feet firmly in the ground and opened her mouth wide. Immediately, the star fire that Draco had summoned earlier to create a barrier began to flow into her mouth. The power it carried with it instantly shot through her body, making her glow pure white. As soon as she had eaten all of it, she hunched over and let out a deep breath.

"Let's end this!" she shouted. "I'M ALL FIRED UP!"

Draco then bounded forward and took off into the sky. Alu snatched up the red keys in the grass, ran to the edge of the cliff, and took a flying leap. Draco quickly swooped down and she landed on his back. The two then flew off towards the Fairy Tail guild hall.

* * *

Ash looked up in the sky and saw Alu and Draco approaching. It was clear that they were coming to finish off the crazed Neo Zodiacs.

They would also need help.

Thinking quickly, Ash sprung to his feet and shouted at the top of his voice.

"EVERYONE! WE HAVE FORCE THE NEO ZODIAC'S TOGETHER AND KEEP THEM TOGETHER! THEN ALU WILL HANDLE THE REST!"

Nobody seemed to argue with that plan. As soon as Ash voiced it, all the wizards and Zodiac Spirits pulled out the last of their strength to complete this task. Their plan was to get all of the Neo Zodiacs into the lake with Neo Ophiuchus.

Erza and Minerva hit Neo Aries against Neo Ophiuchus. Cana, Scorpio, and Gildarts slammed Neo Scorpio. Lisanna and Gemini pushed back Neo Gemini. Mirajane, Laxus and Pisces combined their powers to attack Neo Pisces. Wendy, Romeo, and Sagittarius used a Unison Raid to push back Neo Sagittarius. Grey and Juvia also used a Unison Raid with Virgo to attack Neo Virgo. Elfman and Taurus fought back Neo Taurus. Sting and Rogue used White Shadow Dragon Silk to attack Neo Libra while the real Libra changed her center of gravity to force her against the others. Rufus and Orga combined their strength with Capricorn to send Neo Capricorn flying into the lake. Dobengal kicked Neo Cancer from behind to distract him as the real Cancer rushed forward, cut off his afro, and round-housed kicked him into the rest of the group. Lastly, Gajeel, Carol, Pantherlily, and Leo combined their strength together to land a brutal hit of an enhanced Regulus Impact on Neo Leo.

With that, all of the Neo Zodiacs were together. That gave the real Ophiuchus the cue to retreat.

"UR!" Ash shouted, reaching for his sister's hand.

"GOT IT!" Ur shouted back, reaching for her brother's.

"I owe 'em one, too!" Aquarius said firmly. "After all, water's my element!"

The Fullbuster twins joined hands and focused their power together. At the same time, Grey and Juvia did the same thing before reaching out to take the hands of their children. As they did, Aquarius raised the water in the lake and moved her arms in such a way that it swirled around the Neo Zodiac's.

"MAGIC FUSION!" the four Fullbusters commanded. "FAMILY UNISON RAID!"

Instantly, a huge curtain of ice and water shot up around the Neo Zodiacs, encasing all of them. No matter how hard the fought to get out of it, they couldn't. It had them trapped.

"NOW, ALU!" Ash yelled. "NOW!"

Alu heard the voice of her friend and immediately felt empowered. She jumped off of Draco and sky-dived down toward the Neo Zodiacs.

This was it. She was ending this. And she knew just he spell to use. And this one was one of her her most powerful.

Alu threw the crimson keys down towards the curtain of ice and water and summoned star fire to her hands. She then readied herself to spin around.

"CELESTIAL DRAGON SLAYER SECRET ART!" she cried. "STAR FIRE EXPLODING SPIRIT BLADE!"

With a graceful and powerful twist, an enormous wave of brilliant star fire in the form of blades shot from Alu's hand and down towards the Neo Zodiac's. It obliterated the red keys the moment it hit them, and it struck the Neo Zodiac's with incredible force, lighting up the whole area in a dazzling light that made everyone shield their eyes. All of the Dark Spirits cried out in agony as the pure Celestial Dragon Magic destroyed each and everyone of them. This time, they had no chance of regenerating. That attack dissolved them along with the Shikigami dolls they had used as their life forces.

Alu's attack then dispersed, and Draco's Dimension Barrier slowly disappeared. All the damage that had been caused by the fight between the wizards and Spirits vanished along with it, making it look as if the fight had never taken place.

Alu, still falling, suddenly began to feel weak. All of her energy felt as if it had been sapped from her. Draco managed to catch by enlarging himself again and grabbing her with his hand. He then hovered in the air for a moment, looking down at the girl with concern.

"Alu?"

"Draco." Alu said, weakly turning to look up at the Dragon. "My work's not done yet. Please, open a path for me."

"Are you sure?" Draco asked.

"Yes, please."

Draco hesitated for a moment. He could clearly see that Alu was at the point of exhaustion. That attack along with her previous fight had really taken it out of her. She had put everything into this battle, and she did without getting used to her powers yet.

Still, there was that determination in her eyes that Draco couldn't ignore.

"Very well," he nodded.

Breathing out steadily, Draco opened another white portal. Alu immediately struggled to get up. She staggered for a few feet before jumping through. As soon as she was through, the portal closed behind her.

* * *

A second later, Alu stumbled out of the portal and back into the cave of Mount Zonia. She fell to the ground and panted heavily. She had used up so much power that she could barely walk.

Alu looked up and saw her father's body lying just a few yards in front of her. Gathering her remaining strengthen, she began to crawl across the ground towards him. As she progressed, her vision became blurry, her limbs began to feel like putty, and her breathing was becoming more forced. She was also starting to feel her Celestial Dragon Slayer Form slipping away. She wasn't going to stay conscious for much longer.

At last, Alu reached her father. She sat still for a moment to catch her breath. Then, she brought her hands up to her chest and carefully pulled out the glowing red soul that was her father's.

"Sorry for all the trouble I put you through, Dad," she said weakly. "I just hope this was enough. And…thank you…for the second chance."

Alu then brought the soul down to Natsu and gently pressed it back into his chest. As she did, she felt his heart beat again from inside him. With his soul returned to him, the color came flooding back to Natsu's face, and his body grew warm again.

Finally, Alu's exhaustion caught up with her. The last thing she remembered was falling over, and then her whole world fell into darkness.


	35. Chapter 35: Father and Daughter

**Chapter 35**

 **Father and Daughter**

Natsu winced and slowly opened his eyes. He saw that he was back in the caverns of Mount Zonia. And just the sensation of his body responding to his movements proved that his soul had returned to him. He blinked lazily a few times as he tried to remember how that happened. The last thing he remembered was watching Alu defeat the Neo Zodiacs with her Dragon Slayer Secret Art Technique.

Wait, Alu!

Natsu's eyes shot wide open and he sat up as fast as he could, groaning and gripping his head as a heavy dizziness threatened to send him back to the ground. Once his senses stopped swimming, he looked around for any sign of his daughter. He turned to his right…and what he saw nearly made his heart stop beating in terror.

Alu was lying motionless on the ground next to him. Her Celestial Dragon Slayer form had disappeared and she was back in her regular cloths. Her hair had returned to its normal pink color, and her Dragon scales had disappeared.

"Alu!" Natsu exclaimed.

The Dragon Slayer got to his knees and scooped his daughter up, cradling her in his arms. Alu's head limply rested up against his left shoulder, her mouth was ajar, and her eyes were closed. Her face was a little pale, and there was still fresh sweat on her face. That was a sign that she had used a lot of Magic Power.

Maybe more than usual.

"Alu, wake up!" Natsu said franticly. "C'mon, it's me! It's your dad! I'm right here! Alu, please, open your eyes! Say something! Anything!"

Natsu shook Alu with both force and gentleness to try and wake her up, but she didn't respond. No matter what he did, Natsu couldn't wake Alu up. She remained lifeless, and her eyes stayed closed.

"No…" Natsu whispered, horrified. "No, no, please!"

She couldn't be…

Natsu brought Alu's body up a little bit a put his ear to her chest. He shut his eyes and listened intently for what he wanted to hear. For two horrible seconds, he didn't hear anything. A horrible feeling of dread rose up inside him.

Was Alu really gone? Was he too late?

Just before despair had taken hold of Natsu, he found what he was looking for.

A heartbeat. And not just one, but several more. One after another in even intervals and at a steady rate. They were faint, but they were still beating without any sign of stopping. Not only that, but her chest was rising and falling, if only just a little bit.

Natsu then quickly moved his face to hers and hovered above her mouth. Warm air gently blew out of it as Alu breathed in consistent breaths.

"She's alive." Natsu breathed heavily. "She's alive. Oh, thank heaven."

Natsu then brought Alu in close to him and embraced her. He clutched her tightly as tears of happiness and relief rose up in his eyes. He didn't stop them from falling down his cheeks, nor did he care that they were. All he cared about was that his daughter was alive. Unconscious, but alive none the less.

As Natsu held Alu in his arms, the memory of her birth flooded back into the forefront of his mind.

* * *

 _Natsu stood in the entrance of the hospital room, breathless from sprinting all the way there from the guild hall after getting back from a mission. He was about to apologize to his wife for his absence, but what he saw made the words die instantly in his mouth._

 _His eyes widened when he saw the scene before him._

 _Lucy was sitting up in the hospital bed against a large pillow, her face bright with a joyful smile and tears brimmed her eyes. While there was still a hint of fatigue about her, she was too happy to give into it._

 _Cradled in her arms, sleeping soundly and wrapped in sky-blue blanket, was their new born baby._

 _When Lucy looked up to see Natsu in the doorway, her smile grew even more._

 _"Natsu," the Celestial Wizard whispered with tearful joy. "She's here. She's finally here."_

 _Natsu blinked in astonishment. Their child was a girl._

 _He had a daughter._

 _Slowly, Natsu walked into the room and up to his wife's bedside. He looked down at the little infant and noticed right away that she had a tuff of pink hair on her head. Smiling, he lifted his hand and gently touched her little round face with his finger. Her skin was so soft and smooth._

 _"Isn't she beautiful?" Lucy said, beaming. "She looks just like you."_

 _Natsu was silent, still trying to process the moment._

 _Finally, with a warm smile, he replied, "Yeah. She does, doesn't she."_

 _As soon as Natsu spoke, the little babe's face twisted and she began to cry. Natsu gave a small expression of worry and attempted to remove his hand, thinking he might have upset the infant. However, just as he was about to move his hand away, the infant's hands suddenly reached up and grabbed his fingers. This was enough to make the Dragon Slayer freeze in shock. The grip wasn't very strong, he could've easily pulled his hand out, but something made him unable to do that. Her fingers were so tiny compared to his, but they also felt so soft and warm._

 _Once she had grabbed a hold of his fingers, the baby stopped wailing. Instead, she cooed happily and gave a small toothless smile._

 _Lucy looked confused for only a moment before her eyes widened in realization. She looked up at Natsu with softness in her expression._

 _"She heard you," she said. "She wants to meet her father now."_

 _Slowly, Lucy offered the little baby in the blankets to her husband._

 _Natsu swallowed hard before carefully reaching out and taking the bundle. He held onto the child firmly yet gently, like if she was delicate glass that would shatter easily if he didn't handle her with the utmost care. As if proving that Lucy's theory was correct, the little babe smiled and cooed cheerfully the moment she was securely cradled in his strong arms. Her eyes were still closed and she couldn't see, but she didn't need to. She knew that these arms belonged her father's, and that they would keep her safe from any danger._

 _For a moment, Natsu just stood where he was, looking down at the infant as she nestled deeper in to the folds of the blanket. He couldn't remember the last time he felt this overwhelmed before. For this wasn't in a bad way. He didn't know what it was exactly, all he knew was that it was good. More than good in fact. It was like he was overwhelmed in the best way possible._

 _He still couldn't believe it. This small baby he was holding was really his daughter. She was so tiny and fragile, but she also looked so strong and healthy._

 _And just like with Lucy, Natsu had a strong desire to protect this child._

 _Then, like a wonder of all wonders, the child slowly opened her eyes and looked up at her father for the first time. Just how her little tuff of hair was as pink as his, her eyes were exactly like his._

 _And his face was the first one for her to see._

 _Upon seeing his face, she smiled as brightly as any baby could. She had been waiting to see his face just as he had been waiting to see hers. After nine months of waiting, they finally got to see each other. But that wait was more worth it._

 _Natsu couldn't help but smile back down at the little baby in his arms._

 _"Hi," he said softly. "I told ya I'd be here. Welcome to your family."_

 _The infant girl squealed with delight. Her little hand reached out and grabbed ahold of Natsu's scarf. Her little fist closed around it and she pulled it to her face, nuzzling the soft fabric against her cheek with affection. Natsu chuckled and brought his hand up to her little face. He softly touched her cheek with his finger as she nestled closer against his scarf._

 _It was then that it hit home with Natsu._

 _Today, he was a father. And this was his daughter._

* * *

Natsu smiled upon reflection of that memory.

To think that tiny little baby would grow into this strong young woman.

"I'd knew you'd find your strength someday," he whispered in Alu's ear. "You're amazing."

Natsu then took a deep breath and wiped his face with his right hand.

"You keep resting, kiddo," he said. "You've earned it. I'll get ya home."

With some effort, Natsu hoisted the unconscious Alu onto his back, her arms draping over his shoulders. He got a secure hold on her legs before standing up. He wobbled for a bit before regaining his balance. He paused for a second to make sure he was stable, and then began to walk through the cavern. Even though it was slow going, Natsu didn't have to worry about Ivan or his Spirits attacking them. He just had to concern himself with finding an exit. And while he was worried about Alu, he could tell that her condition wasn't worsening. It was staying just about the same.

Of course, Alu was tougher than she looked. She would stay strong until they got out of this mountain.

As Natsu walked out of the large cavern, he noticed something else. It was something rather minor, but he couldn't help but comment on it.

"Hmm, that evil aura's gone," he mumbled to himself.

As Natsu walked down a tunnel that was leading him to who-knows-where in the mountain, he saw a small light at the end of it. At first he thought that it was the exit. However, he quickly realized that the light was moving towards him faster than he was walking towards it.

Natsu stopped for a moment and prepared himself for what was coming. He didn't know if it was friend or foe, but he didn't want to be caught off guard.

"Natsu," a voice said in a wise voice.

Natsu straightened when he recognized that voice.

In just a few seconds, he saw Draco walking towards him. Now, the Dragon was about the size of a horse.

"Hey, you're that Spirit Dragon!" Natsu exclaimed. "The one who helped Alu!"

"Yes, Dragon Slayer of Fire." Draco nodded. "And now, I've come to help you out of the mountain. Alu might be stable, but she'll need a proper place to rest and regain her strength. Unfortunately, I spent a lot of my energy in the battle against Ivan and his Spirits. I could only open my Gate to this location because this is where Alu is. But I'm afraid I can't warp the two of you to your guild."

"Right now, any place will do." Natsu replied. "I just want to get her somewhere safe."

"Very well then." Draco said. "I can at least open a portal to the guild that allied you in this fight. The one where the Celestial Wizard whose soul Alu currently holds is resting."

"You mean Sabertooth? That'll be fine. In fact, it might just be perfect."

Draco just gave on nod before opening up another one of his portals. Natsu just grinned at the opening.

"Thanks, Dragon Spirit," he said gratefully.

"Please," the Dragon replied humbly, "call me Draco."

"Sure thing, Draco. See ya around."

With that, Natsu walked through the Star Portal. As soon as he was completely through, it closed behind him. Draco paused for a moment before smiling.

"I'm so happy for you, my dear Alu," he said to himself. "You've been blessed with a loving family in this life. Now, we can both go home."

With that, Draco disappeared in a golden glitter of light, and back to the Celestial World.

* * *

Lucy stared in amazement as Happy and Violet flew her back down to the Fairy Tail guild. She could hardly believe what she was seeing. All of the Zodiac Spirits were assembled. They were all tired and breathless, but still. They looked strong and capable in that armor of theirs.

But what really made Lucy smile for joy was that Aquarius was among them.

The moment the blond Celestial Wizard's feet touched ground, she sprinted across the pavement towards the Water Spirit. Without a second thought, she flung herself into Aquarius's arms, much to the Celestial Spirit's surprise. The two shared the embrace for only a second or two before Lucy pulled away. She then took Aquarius's hands in hers and held them. Aquarius didn't make a move to pull them away, she just accepted the kind gesture.

"Aquarius, it is you." Lucy said with a tearful smile. "You came back."

"Guess I should've expected this reaction from you." Aquarius grinned. "Although I must admit, you are different than the last time we met."

Lucy wiped some tears away and regained her composure.

"Well," she smirked, "I did take some of your advice. I did get a boyfriend, who's now my husband."

"Hmph, you mean the loud-mouth pyro with the spiky pink hair? Somehow I knew you two would end up together. You're both a couple of freaks."

"Say that again." Lucy playfully challenged.

Aquarius snickered.

"Maybe you haven't changed that much," she said sarcastically.

Lucy responded to that comment with a one eyebrow raised along with a grin.

"You haven't changed a lot either," she said. "But I am curious as to why you're here? You told me that your Key had been remade in a different place."

"I fibbed a bit." Aquarius shrugged dismissively. "What I really meant was that my key WOULD be remade in another place in time. And the one who would re-forge it would be anywhere. I just wanted to drop a hint that you could get it back, I didn't want to be specific."

"Well, thanks a lot for that." Lucy said sarcastically. "I should've figured you'd do something like that. But where is your key now?"

"Ask that little scruff munchkin of yours when you get the chance. I'm sure she'd love to tell you."

"You mean Alu?" Lucy blinked, her facing changing to surprised.

"Well, I'd love to stay and chat," Aquarius said flatly, "but that fight really took it out of me. See ya later."

Before Lucy had the chance to say even good-bye, Aquarius closed her gate and returned back to the Celestial World. At the same time, all the other Zodiac Spirits, exhausted and in need of rest, returned to their world as well.

Lucy stared straight ahead for a moment before giving a content smile. She knew she would see Aquarius again. But for now, she needed to focus on helping the others. No doubt some of the other members in the guild didn't come out of the fight unscathed. She would have to turn her attention to treating them as best she could. Not to mention, that fire from before did some damage to the guild hall. And while the building was still standing, she wasn't sure if it was completely sound. So they would probably have to take care of the injured outside, or at Magnolia's hospital.

However, as Lucy began to walk over to join the rest of her guild, Sting suddenly called out to her.

"Hey, Lucy! Get over here!"

"Someone wants to talk to ya!" Lector yelled.

Lucy looked over in the direction where Sting and Lector had called and blinked. They were both among the members of their guild, and Sting was holding a communication lacrima in his right hand. With his left hand, he was waving it to get her to notice him.

Lucy paused for just a moment before hurrying over to the Sabertooth wizard and his Exceed partner.

"Okay, here she is." Sting said to the lacrima.

He then handed it to Lucy, who took it with both hands.

"Hello?" she said to it, sounding unsure.

"Hey, Lucy," a familiar voice said through the lacrima. "Are you okay?"

Lucy gasped and clutched the lacrima even tighter. She knew this voice. And in an instant, the image of the person it belonged to appeared in the orb.

"Natsu!" she exclaimed joyfully. "You're okay!"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Natsu grinned. "But what about you? Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm okay." Lucy replied, wishing she could reach through the lacrima and hold the person she was talking to. "We suffered a few injuries, but Wendy's already on top of it. Luckily, it's nothing too serious. What about you? And where's Alu?"

"Alu's fine." Natsu informed. "We're at the Sabertooth guild right now. She's just resting. That fight really took a lot out of her, but the nurse said she'll be fine when she wakes up."

"Oh, thank goodness." Lucy breathed. "I'm glad you're both okay."

"Hey, Natsu." Sting interrupted. "If you want, we can bring Lucy with us when we return to Sabertooth. That okay with you?"

"Sure, Sting." Natsu replied. "I know she's in good hands with you guys. When are you guys gonna get here?"

"We'll be heading out soon." Sting replied. "If we take the train, we should be there in an about an hour and a half."

"That is if the trains are running tonight." Lector pointed out. "If not, then we'll probably have to wait until morning."

"I think there might be one that runs late at night." Lucy said. "We'll go and check."

"Don't worry about it." Natsu replied. "We're not going anywhere soon. We'll be waiting right here."

"Okay." Lucy nodded. "I'm just going to tell the others what's going on. Hope to see you soon."

With that, Natsu's image faded from lacrima globe and the communication was stopped. Lucy handed the orb back to Sting before running back to tell the other members of her guild the good news. All of them were relieved to hear that Natsu had his soul returned to him, and that he and Alu were doing relatively alright.

"Go and be with your family, Lucy." Erza said kindly to the golden-haired woman, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We can manage things around here. But they need your right now, and I know you want to be with them."

"Thanks, Erza." Lucy smiled. "I'll be sure to give them your greetings."

Erza nodded at that statement.

"Hey, Lucy," a voice called out.

At the sound of her name being called, both Lucy and Erza turned to see one of the members of the Thunder Legion walking up to her them.

"Bixslow?" Lucy blinked. "What is it?"

"Before you head out, I think there's something I should tell you," the masked-wizard said. "It's about Alu."

* * *

 _An hour and a half later…_

Alu laid flat on her back in a soft bed inside the infirmary of the Sabertooth guild hall. She was fast asleep and had white sheets pulled up to her neck. The color was beginning to come back to her face, and her breathing was becoming stronger.

Beside her was Natsu. He had grown tired from all that had happened during the evening, and was now sleeping with his head on the edge of her bed. It was clear that he didn't want to leave her side for a moment. He wanted to be here when she woke up, however long that might take.

It was only when he heard the sounds of footsteps rapidly approaching the infirmary that he began to open his eyes. He groaned with drowsiness and rubbed his eyes before sitting up and turning to the entrance. As soon as he did, the door was swung open.

Lucy ran in, her face lighting up into a bright smile when she saw her husband.

"Natsu!"

"Oh, Lucy!"

The moment Natsu stood up, Lucy came slamming up against him. He grunted as the action caused him to stumble back a bit, but he recovered quickly. He then wrapped his arms around Lucy's waist as she tightened hers around his neck. Lucy nuzzled her face into Natsu's shoulder and he buried his into her golden hair, inhaling her scent of vanilla and strawberries.

"I was so worried." Lucy whimpered. "I thought I lost you for good this time."

"I'm sorry, Lucy." Natsu said apologetically. "I didn't mean to upset you. But I'm fine, really."

"Are you sure?" Lucy asked. "You're not hurt?"

"Yeah, don't worry."

Natsu then pulled away just a little so that he could gently grab Lucy's chin and tilt her head up to look at her.

"Besides," he said with his signature grin, "wasn't one of the things I promised you when we got married was to frighten you every day."

Lucy laughed lightly at that.

"Yeah, but that was more than just the run-of-the-mill frightening," she said. "Your Fire Dragon Roars are enough for me."

Natsu snickered. He then closed his eyes and leaned in to press his lips against Lucy's soft ones. Lucy closed her eyes and let herself melt into the warm kiss. If that wasn't enough to tell her that Natsu was alive and in her arms, then she didn't know what was.

A few seconds later, the two pulled away and Lucy turned her head to look at Alu.

"How's she doing?" she asked.

"Well, the nurse said she's stable." Natsu replied. "And she looks a whole lot better than when I first brought her in. I don't know how long it's going to be until she wakes up though."

"I see." Lucy muttered, casting her gaze downward.

"Hey, something wrong?" Natsu asked, noticing Lucy's mood change.

"It's just…" Lucy hesitated, trying to find the words to say. "Before I left, Bixslow told me something…rather disturbing."

"What was it?"

Lucy swallowed hard before looking Natsu in the eye.

"He said something about Alu's soul," she explained.

* * *

 _An hour and a half ago…_

 _"I didn't really know how to tell you this before," Bixslow said informatively, "but when I first saw Alu after you brought her to the guild when she was born, there was something strange about her soul. It looked like someone had taken a huge chunk out if it, and that it was doing all it could just to glimmer. It stayed that way her whole life up until now."_

 _Lucy's eyes widened in shock when she heard that. Bixslow noticed her reaction, but continued to explain._

 _"But that wasn't what I saw this time when she showed up with the Zodiac Spirits. Her soul looked complete, powerful even. If you ask me, that's a great mystery. I wonder if it had something to do with that Dragon we saw earlier."_

* * *

Natsu inhaled deeply as Lucy explained what the Thunder Legion Wizard had told her.

"He said Alu's soul was fractured?" the Dragon Slayer said, completely stunned by the news. "How is that even possible?"

Lucy shook her head.

"I don't know," she admitted softly. "But you know Bixslow. He might be a little…odd, but he's not a liar."

"But that's true, then why is it that he saw her soul was fixed when she fought against Ivan?" Natsu asked. "What do you think happened?"

Lucy was about to answer when a smooth, male voice cut her off.

"I think we can answer that."

Natsu and Lucy turned around quickly and their eyes widened when they saw three figures enter through the infirmary door.

Loke walked in with Draco, who was now the size of a kitten, perched on his shoulder. As soon as they came through, Aquarius came hovering in behind them.

"What the…" Lucy exclaimed. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Like Leo said," Aquarius shrugged, "we came to give you some answers. Time you both knew the truth about Alu."


	36. Chapter 36: Reincarnation

**Chapter 36**

 **Reincarnation**

Natsu and Lucy both sat down at the foot of Alu's bed as Loke, Aquarius, and Draco all entered the infirmary. Loke sat down on the edge of a bed across from Natsu and Lucy, Draco flew over to the sleeping Alu and snuggled up against her, and Aquarius remained standing at the end of Alu's bed.

"How did you guys get here?" Lucy asked. "I didn't summon you. And shouldn't you be resting back in the Celestial World?"

"Yeah," Natsu said. He then turned to Draco. "And what is it with you in changing your size all the time? Aren't you supposed to be as big as a mountain?"

"I'm the Spirit Dragon." Draco simply said. "I can do things other Dragons can't. One is altering my size to suit my needs."

"Anyway," Loke interjected, "we came here because we have something important to tell the two of you. But first, how's Alu doing?"

"She's fine." Lucy answered. "She's still asleep, but she's stable."

"I guess I should've expected that from a fight like the one she had." Natsu said. "But I'm sure she'll be okay. She's tough as nails."

"She must be regaining her the last of her memories, too." Aquarius said casually. "Now that she's got her powers back, her memories should return as well."

"Regaining her memories?" Lucy looked up at the Water Spirit with surprise. "What do you mean?"

"It's what we're here to talk to you two about." Loke explained. "There's something you need to know about Alu, now that she's awakened as the Celestial Dragon Slayer again."

"What do you mean by 'again'?" Natsu asked suspiciously, raising an eyebrow.

"Natsu, Lucy," Draco said in a calm voice, "I know this may come as a bit of a shock to you, and I can't think of an easier way of saying it, but your daughter is actually the reincarnation of the Celestial Dragon Slayer."

Natsu and Lucy both gaped in utter surprise when they heard that.

"Alu's a reincarnation?" Lucy gasped lightly. "How's that possible?"

"Allow me to explain." Draco replied. "Centuries ago, the Human World and the Celestial World were nothing more than parallel universes. We Celestial Spirits were aware of the Human World's existence, but we didn't interact with it. Then one day, I happened to stumble upon a gate that took me right to your world."

Natsu and Lucy listened intently as Draco continued. He had got their attention now.

"It was about five hundred years ago by your time," the Dragon Spirit said. "I was unfamiliar with the ways of this world. I wandered around aimlessly, searching for a way to return to my world. Sadly, I had no such luck. And in my travels, I saw that this world was oppressed by the reign of many wicked and tyrannical Dragons. I also witnessed some of the horrible things they did to the humans. I isolated myself because seeing all that carnage became too much for me to bear. Being a Celestial Spirit, I had little comprehension on the concept of death. Needless to say, it was more than I could handle at the time."

"Understandable." Lucy whispered. "Celestial Spirits can't die unless you stay in the Human World for too long."

Draco gave a single nod.

"So what happened to you after that?" Natsu asked the Dragon Spirit.

Draco turned to look at Alu.

"I found Alu. She had somehow wandered into the forest where I was hiding in. She was lost, afraid, and dressed in rags. I learned that her family had been annihilated by a Dragon two days before. Just seeing her in such a pitiful state tugged at my heart. So I took her in and raised her as my own. I told her the stories of the Celestial World, all of the Spirits who lived there, and I taught her my Dragon Magic. Or what you now call Dragon Slayer Magic. So you could say that Alu was the very first Dragon Slayer."

"Alu was the first Dragon Slayer?" Natsu said with disbelief.

"Indeed, she was." Loke said. "However, since Draco had been in the human world for so long, his life force was starting to deplete. He's one of the strongest Spirits in the Celestial World, so he managed to last seven years."

"Seven years in the Human World?" Lucy gasped. "I didn't think that was possible."

"Heh, makes my three years sound pretty measly, doesn't it?" Loke chuckled half-heartily, scratching the back of his head.

"But what Leo says is true." Draco said. "I was on the brink of disappearing one night. But Alu wouldn't give up on me. She called out to the Celestial World, and it answered by revealing the Gate I had accidently wandered through. At first, Alu tried to bust it open with her Dragon Slayer Magic, but to no avail. Then she and I tried something else. The two of us combined our powers together and created a key, that one that your daughter now has in her possession."

Both Natsu and Lucy turned to look at Alu's Celestial Keys, which were on the nightstand next to her. They stared at the only diamond key attached to the ring. Now that they knew the significance of that key, it stood out to them more than any of the others.

"In creating that key," Draco continued, "Alu also created Celestial Magic. She became the first Celestial Wizard."

"Really?" Lucy breathed in astonishment.

"After she opened Draco's Gate," Aquarius said, "Draco brought her back to our world. Seeing her in such a wretched state somehow moved us all to compassion. So we took care of her. We gave her Celestial Garments, some food to eat, and treated her like she was our little princess. Of course, she was just happy to have a family again."

"Hold on," Lucy interrupted, "I thought the Celestial Spirit King said that Natsu and I and everyone else were the first humans to be invited to the Celestial World."

"That is true," Loke answered, "but Alu wasn't invited by the Celestial Spirit King. Draco let her come to our world. And because of her powers, she was also able to cross to and from our world as she pleased, like she was a Celestial Spirit herself. Eventually, with her help, the rest of us Spirits forged our own keys and made the foundations of Celestial Magic. All our keys were forged in the place where she first met Draco, which is now called the Valley of Gates. It's also why only Celestial Wizards can enter there."

"So," Natsu said, "you got all of your keys forged, what happened after that?"

Draco lowered his head.

"Seeing the Human World in chaos because of Dragons was heart-breaking," he said in a low voice. "And after Alu became like family to those of us who lived in the Celestial World, we decided to take action. We couldn't just watch the Human World from afar anymore. We wanted to make a difference. We wanted to help create a world where Humans and Dragons could live together in harmony."

Suddenly, Lucy's eyes widened in shock and she jolted in realization.

"Wait!" she interrupted. "Natsu, remember what Zirconis said about one Dragon starting the rebellion hundreds of years ago?!"

Natsu blinked for a moment as he thought back to the time Wendy had summoned the Jade Dragon's spirit to tell them about the Dragon Rebellion. Then the piece clicked into place and his head snapped around to Draco.

"Are you saying that YOU'RE that Dragon?!" he exclaimed. "You're the one who started the rebellion?!"

"Yes, I am." Draco nodded.

Both Natsu and Lucy stared in shock. Draco continued.

"At first, I was worried that no other Dragons would join my cause, but I knew I had to try. I was pleasantly surprised when a great number of them decided to stand up and fight for the humans of this world."

Draco then turned to Natsu and gave a soft smile.

"In fact, Natsu," he said, "the very first one to join our cause was your father, Igneel. More than that, he played a large role in the Dragon Rebellion itself. He rallied other Dragons like Metallicana, Grandeeny, Weisslogia, and Skiadrum to join the fight for humans and Dragons. If it wasn't for him, we probably wouldn't had been able to fight back the other Dragons."

Natsu stared in surprise. He then grinned and looked off to the side as a small amount of pride rose up in his chest. It was a comforting thought to know that the Dragon who had raised him was the first one to join the Dragon Rebellion and fight for mankind.

"Good ol' Igneel," he murmured.

Draco heard Natsu's sentiment and nodded in agreement. He then took a deep breath and proceeded to tell his story again.

"As for Alu, she appeared to live longer than most humans because she spent a lot of time in the Celestial World. While she aged at the normal rate of humans, it seemed different to everyone else back in the world of humans. When a hundred years past by, Alu was roughly in her twenties."

"Yeah," Lucy said pensively, "I guess she would age differently if she was in the Celestial World most of the time."

"Anyway," Draco interjected, "the war between the Dragons raged on and on. No side would give an inch. So Alu came up with another plan. She decided to recruit humans and teach them the Magic that Dragons wielded. That is how Dragon Slayer Magic came to thrive. And each Dragon Slayer gained their own title depending on the Dragon they had trained with. That is how Alu earned the title of the Celestial Dragon Slayer. Some also called her Star Empress, because she seemed to harness the power of the stars themselves. Indeed, she was the most powerful of all Dragon Slayers. The form you saw her in when she fought against Ivan was her Dragon Force."

"I can believe that." Natsu said. "You saw the way she took out Ivan and the Neo Zodiac."

"And Alu did more than just recruit Dragon Slayers." Loke said. "She also took in an apprentice to teach Celestial Magic to. The apprentice in question was Anna Heartfillia."

"My ancestor." Lucy whispered.

"Yep," Loke nodded, "and for a while, it seemed that the Dragon Rebellion was winning the war. Unfortunately…something happened."

There was a small silence.

"Let me guess," Natsu said gravely, "Acnologia happened."

All three Celestial Spirits gave uncomfortable expressions.

"And not just him," Draco said sadly, "other Dragon Slayers became corrupted and tried to wipe out all Dragons. Alu, myself, and the other Celestial Spirits tried to stop those Dragon Slayers as best we could. We tried to just apprehend them, but there were times where they fought back, and it was either we had to kill them or they would kill us."

"That's horrible." Lucy whispered, mortified.

"By the time we got to Acnologia, it was too late." Aquarius frowned grimly. "He had slain so many Dragons and soaked in their blood that he had gained the power to turn in to a Dragon."

"That's when Zeref came up with his plan to stop Acnologia in the future." Draco explained. "While he sent five Dragon Slayers and their Dragons to the future through the Eclipse Gate, he sent Alu on another mission. One that only she could complete. If Acnologia had remained uncheck for four hundred years, then he would easily wipe out the world before you, Natsu, and the other Dragon Slayers would have the chance to fight him. So Alu, along with us Zodiac Spirits and Anna, fought Acnologia on Sacred Mount Zonia. It was a hard battle to say the least. And as powerful as Alu was, she knew she couldn't defeat Acnologia on her own. Instead, she did the only thing she could do. She sealed him away in Mount Zonia for four hundred years in an ageless sleep."

Natsu and Lucy stared. Then the three Celestial Spirits lowered their heads. As the Dragon Slayer and Celestial Wizard looked at each of them closely, they noticed with surprise that there were tears forming in the eyes of the Celestial Spirits. Aquarius quickly turned away to hide hers and breathed steadily to regain control of herself.

"But," Loke said, his voice breaking with genuine sadness, "Alu used up so much of her Magic Power that she was on the brink of death. There was nothing we could do to save her in that life. But we couldn't just let her die. She was like family to us. And she had been through so much suffering, we wanted to give her a better chance at life."

"So…what happened?" Natsu asked hesitantly. "What did you do?"

Aquarius turned back with a serious face and answered, "With Anna's help, we cast the Reincarnation Spell."

"Reincarnation Spell?" Lucy questioned, sounding a little worried. "But…isn't that forbidden Necromancer Magic?"

"No." Draco replied. "This Spell is different. For it to work, the person it's cast on must still have a little bit of life left in them. And now, this is where you two come in."

"Us?" Natsu blinked.

"Yes." Loke nodded, regaining himself. "The Reincarnation Spell takes the soul of the person its cast on and splits in two. Well, that's what it normally does."

"What do you mean?" Lucy asked.

"Alu had a lot of Magic Power back then." Aquarius said. "If she was reborn with all of that Magic, it would've been too much for her infant body to handle. She would've died either in just a few days after she was born. Or worse, she would've been considered a miscarriage."

Both Natsu and Lucy jolted a little in fear and looked at each other. They then looked at their daughter with worried expressions. To think that their only child would've died at birth; or would've been a miscarriage because of too much Magic Power; that was certainly a horrible thought. The only comforting thing that came crashing back to them was that she was still alive.

Asleep, but alive.

"So," Draco said, breaking the two Wizards out of their trances, "I took most of Alu's Magic, as well as the memories of her past life, and sealed them with me inside the Dragon Key. My key was then given to Aquarius for safe-keeping."

"I see." Lucy said, swallowing the lump in her throat. "But…what does this have to do with me and Natsu?"

"A great deal." Loke replied seriously. "In fact, you could say you two are the most crucial components of the Reincarnation Spell."

"Why's that?" Natsu asked, becoming a little uncomfortable of where this was going.

"While Draco took the part of Alu's soul that contained a majority of her Magic," Loke explained, "the Spell split the rest of her soul into two parts. Those two parts were then sent through time and space to look for hosts."

"Hosts?" Natsu blinked in confusion.

"The Reincarnation Spell splits a person's soul up into two parts." Aquarius said bluntly. "Those two parts then find hosts to reside in until the person who is reincarnated is born. And these hosts are a man and woman who are destined to meet and conceive a child together."

That left both Natsu and Lucy speechless. All they could do was look at each other with disbelief.

Aquarius continued.

"Lucy, you hosted the part that contained Alu's Celestial Magic; and Natsu, you hosted the part that contained her Dragon Slayer Magic. Of course, neither one of you was aware of the existence of her soul inside of you. But she was there the whole time. I saw it the first time I met the two of you."

"Hold up!" Lucy interrupted forcefully. "You're saying that you knew it was the two of us the whole time?! Is that why you tried to force the two of us together?!"

"Only Aquarius knew since she had Draco's key." Loke explained. "That's what allowed her to see Alu's souls in the two of you. Of course, she never told any of us. We just suspected that it was you two. After all, while her souls could've chosen anyone, we figured that it was more likely that a Celestial Wizard and Dragon Slayer would be her hosts. We just weren't quite sure that it was exactly the two of you. But even if we did, we couldn't tell you that for a few reasons. One, you wouldn't have believed us. But more importantly, the Reincarnation Spell only works if the two hosts fall in love because they want to, not because they're told to. It has to be a natural occurrence. You both had to be oblivious to the existence of Alu's soul inside you. If we had told you about Alu's soul, then those parts would've left the two of you and looked for new hosts."

"As for us trying to force you together," Aquarius said flatly, "that was mostly Virgo. She won't admit it, but she's a sucker when it comes to good shipping. But there were a few times she cut it too close for comfort. Although it was a waste of time in retrospect. You two are practically made for each other, with or without destiny."

There was a small silence. Then Draco spoke again.

"When I sensed two parts of Alu's soul had joined back together," he said softly, "I called out to the two of you in your dreams one night. Do you remember that?"

At the mention of a dream, both Natsu and Lucy jolted up as the memory suddenly flooded back to them as quickly as a wave rushes to shore.

* * *

 _Fourteen Years ago…_

 _"Natsu, what's going on?"_

 _"I don't know. Just where are we?"_

 _Both Natsu and Lucy found themselves standing at the edge of some kind of weird dimension. It just looked like a place that was nothing but stars. They looked around for any sign of life, but saw none. They were the only ones there._

 _Suddenly, a movement caught their attention. Purely out of instinct, Natsu stepped in front of Lucy and put his arm out to protect her from anything. The two watched as a golden light began to emerge in front of them. As they observed it, they realized that there was something in it. The thing inside the golden light walked towards them gracefully on powerful legs._

 _When it got closer, they both stared in wonder and fear when they saw that it was a huge Dragon. It was a black as the night sky, and had the image of a full moon on its forehead and patches of white scales that looked like stars scattered all over its body. Its golden eyes looked straight at Natsu and Lucy with warmth and kindness._

 _He stopped just a few feet away from the two of them._

 _"Who are you?" Lucy asked, coming up beside her husband._

 _"Dragon Slayer and Celestial Wizard," the Dragon spoke in a wise voice, "please promise me something. When your daughter is born, give her the name Alu. Will you promise me that?"_

 _Natsu and Lucy looked at each other with surprised expressions. Normally, the would've thought about what was being asked of them, especially since it was from a complete stranger. However, that didn't seem to be the case this time. It was like they knew they could trust this Dragon._

 _They both nodded and turned back to the Dragon._

 _"We promise." Natsu declared._

 _The Dragon only smiled before vanishing as mysteriously as he had come._

* * *

"That's right!" Lucy exclaimed. "You did appear to us in a dream! That must be why we both decided to name her Alu!"

"I guess that makes sense." Natsu said, exhaling deeply and rubbing his eyes. "But man, this is a lot to take in."

"I know," Draco replied understandingly, "but it's now time you knew the truth, now that Alu has awakened as her true self."

Lucy simply nodded. She took and deep breath and calmed herself.

"So," she said softly, "the Reincarnation Spell was completed when Alu was born?"

"Yes and no." Loke replied. "Since the two of you only contained one third of Alu's soul each, it was incomplete when she was born. That's why she had a Magic Deficiency. The only way she could get her all her Magic back was by opening Draco's Gate and regaining the last piece of her soul. Aquarius was able to give pieces of her soul back when she needed them, but Alu had to open Draco's gate to get her soul back completely. And she could only do that when she was old enough to handle all that Magic. Fortunately, she is now. It'll take some getting use to again, but she'll be okay."

Natsu and Lucy sighed with relief. That was the most reassuring thing they needed to hear.

"Well, thank you for telling us the truth." Lucy said graciously. "It really explains a few things."

"Our pleasure." Draco replied in the same tone.

"Well," Aquarius shrugged, "you've gotten all you need to know, so we should be heading back to the Celestial World."

"Okay." Lucy nodded. "Thanks again for everything."

"And thank you, Lucy and Natsu." Loke said, standing up and bowing respectfully. "Thank you for bringing Alu back to us."

With that, both Aquarius and Loke vanished in a wonder of golden light. Draco got up from his place and was about to head back to the Celestial World when he suddenly remembered something.

"Oh, Natsu," he said. "Before I forget, there's something else you should know about Alu."

"Yeah, what's that?" Natsu asked.

"Even back then," Draco replied slowly, "Alu was of the Dragneel bloodline. Her name was Alu Dragneel."

"She was of my bloodline?" Natsu said with astonishment.

However, the look on Natsu's face suddenly changed to worry. He remembered that Draco had also said that Alu's birth family was killed by a Dragon, just like his was.

"Oh!" he exclaimed with near-comical dread. "Don't tell me she was my long-lost sister!"

"No," Draco shook his head slowly, "she was more like your ancestor."

Natsu groaned. Although that was a little better than finding out that Alu wasn't his sister in her past life, it was still a little weird to think of her as being his ancestor. Not to mention, this whole reincarnation stuff was making his head spin around in confusion already.

"Of course now in this life, she's your daughter." Draco said in a soft voice. "And I'm very happy for that. I'm glad that in this life, she gets to live with her birth father and mother."

"And we're happy to have her as a daughter." Lucy smiled. "Thank you, Draco.

"And thank you, Natsu and Lucy."

With that, Draco disappeared back to the Celestial World.

For a while, Natsu and Lucy both sat in silence. This was certainly a lot for them to think about. In all they years they had Alu, they never would've guess that she would be one of the most powerful Wizards ever. Nor would they have suspected that she was actually a reincarnation.

Wanting to break the silence, Natsu turned to Lucy.

"Hey, you doin' okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Lucy replied softly, lowing her gaze.

Natsu followed her line of vision and noticed that Lucy was holding her hands in a mild form of distress.

"You sure?" he asked again with concern.

"It's just…" Lucy hesitated. She was searching for the right words to say. "When I now think back, it's weird to think that the whole time I was carrying Alu, I was carrying not just a powerful wizard, but also someone who had been born before. It's strange, you know?"

Natsu glanced away. He then looked at Alu and watched her for a moment. The covers over her chest rose and fell steadily as she breathed in and out at even intervals. She looked calm and peaceful, like she was sleeping without a care in the world.

"I can't say that I know exactly how you feel," Natsu admitted to Lucy. "But I think I understand what you mean by having a weird feeling. I have a hard time believing all of it myself. It was a shock to me when I learned that Igneel was inside of me all those years ago. And now finding out that I had part of Alu's soul, too; kinda makes me wonder just how many souls my body can hold now."

Lucy looked up at Natsu. She watched him as he slowly began to smile.

"But," he said, "there's one thing I do know. While I've always believed in creating our own futures and not letting fate rule our lives, I can honestly say that I'm glad that destiny had plans for us this time. If none of this happened, then I probably wouldn't have met you, and we never would've had Alu. Even if we were being controlled by fate, I have no complaints. Because it brought me to you."

Natsu turned to look at his wife with an honest smile. Lucy smiled back. She didn't have to say a word for her husband to know that she agreed with him wholeheartedly.

The two then leaned towards each other and shared a heartfelt kiss. They certainly had to be grateful that destiny had called them together. And now, it had brought Alu into their lives.

They had nothing to regret or be upset about. Everything they needed was all here.

The couple then pulled away touched foreheads for a second or two. They they sat up and looked at each other. Almost immediately after they did that, Natsu's stomach gave a rather loud grumble.

"Man, I forgot I hadn't eaten anything all day," he groaned, clutching his abdomen. "Feels like there's a hole in my stomach."

Lucy giggled a little.

"Tell you what, I'll go see if there's some food around here," she offered. "I'm sure I can find something."

"I can do that." Natsu protested.

"It's okay, you stay here with Alu and I'll be right back."

"Okay, fine." Natsu slumped, not wanting to argue about the issue.

Lucy then got up from the edge of the bed and walked out of the infirmary. When she was gone, Natsu let out a deep breath and turned to look back at Alu.

He was then met with a surprise that nearly sucked the rest of the air out of his body.

Alu winced and groaned. Then she spoke in a very small voice.

"Dad?" she whispered. "Dad?"


	37. Chapter 37: Reunion

**Chapter 37**

 **Reunion**

"Dad?" Alu said softly, her voice getting stronger.

"Alu?" Natsu's inhaled sharply.

Alu squirmed a little under the covers as she tried to wake up. Natsu immediately scrambled over to her left side and picked her up in his arms.

"Dad?" Alu moaned, feeling that she had been moved. "Is that you?"

"Yes!" Natsu exhaled deeply, placing his hand against his daughter's cheek. "Yes Alu, I'm right here! I've got you!"

Finally, with a great deal of effort, Alu slowly opened her eyes. They were no longer cyan and Dragon-like. They had reverted back to the dark green they had always been since birth.

Alu had to blink a few times to help clear her fuzzy vision. She felt her face pressed up against something warm, and she felt two strong arms wrapped around her in a loving and protective way. The moment her world came into focus; she saw that she was looking straight into her father's face. As if wanting to make sure she wasn't dreaming, Alu reached her left hand up and lightly touched her the scar on Natsu's right cheek with her fingers. When she was sure he was real, she placed the rest of her hand on the side of his face.

There was no denying it this time.

Her father was back. He was here.

Alu's heart melted with overwhelming relief and joy.

"Dad." Alu said as tears brimmed her eyes. "You're back."

"Yeah," Natsu nodded, "thanks to you. You were amazing."

Alu paused for a moment as she tried to fight back the urge to cry. But it was too great for her to contain. As if suddenly finding the strength to move again, Alu sat up and quickly flung her arms around her father as far as they could go and embraced him. Natsu also tightened his arms around her with fatherly love and protection.

His daughter was alive. She was alive and safe in his arms.

Alu was so consumed with emotion that she sobbed uncontrollably and tears spilled from her eyes. Trembling, she clutched at her father's jacket and dug her face into his chest, treasuring his warmth and soaking up his scent. She clung to him tighter with each sob, as if afraid that he would vanish at any second.

"I'm sorry, Dad!" she cried. "I'm so sorry! I'm so, so sorry!"

"It's okay, Alu," Natsu said soothingly, rubbing her back. "Everything's fine now. Just calm down. It's okay."

Those words that Natsu spoke were meant for comfort, but they only made Alu cry even harder with guilt. She just couldn't understand why her father wasn't angry with her. He should be, after what she did to get him into this mess. And for some reason, she felt even worse that he didn't show any signs of fury towards her. She felt that she deserved his anger this time. But Natsu wasn't feeling any shred of it.

Why? Why wasn't he angry with her? Alu couldn't understand it.

"H-How can you forgive me so easily?!" Alu wailed. "I-I put you and Mom in danger! All of F-Fairy Tail! Everyone! I-I'd thought you'd b-be furious with me!"

Natsu placed a hand behind Alu's head and let her hair fall over his fingers.

"That wasn't your fault, Alu." he said sincerely. "And I was never angry with you. Neither was your mother. We were just worried that you had lost your way."

"I did lose my way." Alu admitted, finally being honest with herself. "I was s-so afraid of being weak I endangered all of you. I pretended to be tough because…I was really s-scared this whole time, but I was too afraid to show it. I was scared of b-being weak…that I lost s-sight of myself. A-All the times I lashed out at everyone…all the times I pretended not to care…when really…all I wanted to do was just break down and cry."

"Then cry." Natsu said caringly. "If you need to, I won't stop you. Just let it all out."

Although Natsu hated to see people cry, he also understood that there were times where they just had to get their emotions out. And this was one of those times. The best he could do the help right now was to let Alu know that he was here for her.

Alu nuzzled her face against her father's shoulder, her tears soaking his coat. But Natsu didn't care. He welcomed them. They were just another reminder that his daughter was alive.

"I made so many big mistakes." Alu moaned. "I was so selfish and I hurt those close to me. I never wanted to hurt anyone. I can't even say how sorry I am right now."

"I told you, Alu, that wasn't your fault." Natsu consoled. "You just got mixed up in Ivan's plans."

"But he used me to get to you." Alu replied guiltily. "And…and I almost gave up. When Ivan stole your soul, I…I just wanted to give up and hide. I almost threw it all away. I almost turned and ran like some coward."

Slowly, Natsu gently pushed his daughter only arms-length away so that they could look at each other. He still held onto her shoulders. Alu hung her head for a moment, ashamed to look her father in the eye.

"But you didn't," he said, his voice was low and full of warmth. "You got back up and faced him."

Alu forced herself to look up. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw that Natsu was smiling a proud smile that was directed at her.

"And did it on your own," he said. "You stood up and faced your fear instead of lying down and surrendering. A lesser person like Ivan would've done that. But you stood your ground and fought back, just like I knew you would. And in doing that, you found your true self. You're more of yourself now then you were before. You've become an amazing wizard. And I cannot begin to tell you how proud I am of you. I'm so proud of my little girl."

Alu's heart skipped a beat and her eyes shimmered. Those were the exact words she wanted to hear from her father for such a long time. And this time, they didn't feel incomplete and hollow as they might have been if she was her old self. But now that she was her true self, those words rang in her head like bells of hope and stirred around in her chest. The void that had in her heart for so long had seemed to have disappeared, and she felt more alive than she had before.

Finally, Alu smiled and lowered her head. Trails of tears continued to fall from her eyes, but she didn't care. These were new tears of joy and happiness.

She leaned back into her father and embraced him again, closing her eyes and nuzzling her face in the crook of his neck. Natsu hugged her again in return.

"I love you, Dad." Alu said softly.

"I love you, too, kiddo."

For a moment, father and daughter sat in the quietness of the infirmary in a cherishing embrace.

It was only interrupted when they heard a voice come from the doorway.

"Alu! You're awake!"

Natsu and Alu both looked up in time to see Lucy come running back in. Natsu let his daughter go just as he wife reached them and threw her arms around the pink-haired girl in a tight embrace. She then placed her hands on Alu's face and smothered her with motherly kisses. Alu couldn't help but laugh as the kisses tickled her. Lucy then embraced her daughter again, and Alu hugged her mother as tightly as she could, feeling her tears returning once again. She then nuzzled her face against her mother's shoulder and smiled, and Lucy stroked Alu's hair.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Lucy breathed with relieved joy. "Thank goodness you're okay! I was so worried!"

"Oh, Mom!" Alu said through a teary voice. "I'm sorry worried you! I didn't mean to cause so much trouble!"

"I know, sweetheart." Lucy said gently. "It's okay. It's over now. I'm just glad you're both okay."

"Well," Natsu shrugged, "we wouldn't be if it wasn't for Alu."

Natsu then reached out and placed a hand on his wife's shoulder to get her attention. Lucy turned to look at him, which made Alu do the same thing. They saw that he was grinning his signature goofy grin.

"I think we did good with this one, Lu," he said proudly.

Lucy giggled and smiled at the statement, and Alu bashfully shrunk back with a small blush coming over her cheeks.

"Besides," Natsu continued, "I wouldn't say her quest was for nothing. In fact, she's got a present for ya, Lucy."

Natsu reached over to the nightstand and grabbed Alu's Celestial Keys. The then handed them to his daughter and winked at her. Alu understood the message and immediately took her Keys. She quickly looked through them until she found what she was looking for.

By the time Lucy looked back at Alu, she had already taken a key off of her key chain and was displaying in the palms of her hands.

Lucy gasped in surprise and cupped her hands over her mouth when she saw which Key it was.

It was Aquarius's Key. It wasn't broken anymore. It was made good as new.

"This is why I left, Mom." Alu explained humbly. "I wanted to repair Aquarius's Key for you. And I wanted it to be a surprise. I promise, I was gonna come home as soon as it was fixed."

Alu then offered the Key to Lucy.

"Here, it's yours again," she said.

Lucy paused for a moment or two, still trying to take this all in. She smiled at the sight of Aquarius's repaired key before slowly reached out with her right hand to retrieve it. However, just as she was about to take it, she recoiled her hand slightly in hesitation. After a second or two, she brought both of her hands up and gently made Alu curl her fingers around the Key before pushing it back towards her. Confused, Alu looked up at her mother for an answer.

"Thank you, Alu." Lucy said lovingly. "I really do appreciate this. But you went through all the pain and hard work to repair this key, not me. Any Celestial Wizard who does that is more than worthy to have this key. So, I pass it onto you. This is your key now."

Alu stared at her mother with surprise. There was no doubt about what she was seeing. That was pride shimmering in Lucy's eyes. And it was pride that was directed at her. Alu's smile grew even bigger. She clutched Aquarius's Key close to her heart for a moment before reaching out to hug her mother again.

Lucy responded by hugging Alu back with warm, loving arms. Natsu then moved to wrap his arms around his wife and daughter like they were a shield. Alu felt his embrace and adjusted her arm so what she could hug both her parents. She felt safe, warm, and loved. Something she hadn't felt in ages.

At last, for the first time in a long time, the three felt like a family again.

After that tender moment, Natsu, Lucy and Alu all pulled away from each other. It was only now that Alu realized that she wasn't inside Mount Zonia anymore. She was so focused on her parents that she didn't realize she was resting in a soft bed in an infirmary. She blinked and looked around, trying to figure out just where they were.

Natsu seemed to sense her confusion and immediately answered.

"We're in the Sabertooth Guild's hospital," he explained. "It was the closest place for Draco to warp us to."

"Sabertooth?" Alu whispered.

That name then reminded her something. With a jolt and a gasp, she remembered that she still had Yukino's soul inside her. As soon as she thought about said wizard, she looked over to her right and saw Yukino resting just three beds down from her.

She needed her soul back.

Alu immediately sprang into action and threw the covers off of her, surprising both Natsu and Lucy. She swung her legs over the side and tried to stand up. However, she became disoriented and swayed. She stumbled forward and caught herself on the bed next to her.

"Alu!" Lucy exclaimed, leaping up to assist her daughter.

"I-I'm okay." Alu said quickly. "I just got a little dizzy. Must've stood up too fast."

"Don't push yourself." Natsu replied. "You're not fully recovered yet."

"Don't worry, I'm fine." Alu said, slowly standing up. "I need to return Yukino's soul."

Without another word, Alu strapped her Celestial Keys back around her waist and carefully made her way over to Yukino's bed, with Natsu and Lucy following close behind her. When Alu reached Yukino, she stood on the right side of the bed and looked down. Just like Natsu was when his soul was stolen, Yukino was ash pale and cold. At this point, she looked like she really was dead.

Of course, Alu was going to change that.

Alu removed the sheets just enough to expose Yukino's chest. The Celestial Wizard still in her usual white dress. Alu then brought both her hands up to her chest and gently pulled out a glowing blue orb.

"Time to go home, Yukino," she whispered kindly to it.

Alu lowered both her hands and carefully pushed Yukino's soul back into her body. The moment she did, Yukino's skin immediately changed from ash pale to healthy white. Her chest began to rise and fall with strong breaths. As soon as Alu removed her hands, Yukino winced and slowly began to open her golden brown eyes.

Lucy smiled brightly when she saw her fellow Celestial Wizard wake up and turn to look at the three of them.

"I'm back." Yukino whispered in a weak voice. She then looked up at Alu. "Thank you, Alu. Thank you."

Alu smiled modestly.

"I'm just glad I could do something right," she said.

Lucy came over and took one of Yukino's hands in her own.

"Oh, Yukino," she whispered, "I'm so glad you're alright."

"Glad to see you, too, Lucy." Yukino replied, gently clasping onto Lucy's hand. "And I'm so glad to be back."

Natsu just gave one hearty laugh before rushing to the open door of the infirmary. He grabbed the frame of the door and leaned out into the hallway. From there, he shouted at the top of his voice with great enthusiasm.

"HEY, ROGUE! GET YOU'RE BUTT IN HERE! YUKINO'S AWAKE! SHE'S AWAKE!"

No sooner did Natsu move away from the door that heavy footsteps began running towards the infirmary at a fast pace. In just a few seconds, the Shadow Dragon Slayer appeared in the doorway. It was obvious to see that the moment he heard Yukino was awake, he wasted no time getting to where she was. Yukino turned her head to see Rogue standing in the door way. His visible eye was wide and he panted heavily.

The second the two made eye-contact, Rogue bolt across the infirmary and Yukino reached out her arms for him. Before the white-haired woman even had time to sit up, Rogue slammed into her and embraced her tightly. Yukino gasped from the shock of it before wrapping her arms around Rogue, and holding onto him for dear life.

"Yukino!" Rogue said shakily. "You're alright! You're alright! I…I'm so sorry! I should've been there!"

"No, it's alright." Yukino whispered with reassurance. "It's not your fault. And it's over now. Everything's fine."

Rogue lifted himself up for a moment so that he and Yukino could look at each other. They smiled as they stared into each other's eyes, seeing the joy of being reunited reflected in each of them. There was no need for apology, silent or spoken. Yukino's eyes glimmered with forgiveness, even though she knew that Rogue didn't even need it. She just wanted to assure him that she didn't blame him for what happened. Rogue saw it and felt a warm glow in his chest.

Either way, Yukino was back. That was all that mattered.

Rogue then brought his hands to Yukino's face. Gently, he moved it and kissed her on the lips. The two of them closed their eyes and cherished the warmth it brought them as it flooded through them. It revived Yukino from her long soulless state even more, and she wrapped her arms tighter around the man she loved.

Natsu, who had been watching the whole thing along with Lucy and Alu, walked over to his wife and wrapped one arm around her waist. Lucy responded to the action by moving in closer and to hug him with one arm. The two then looked at each other before sharing a quick kiss.

Alu smiled warmly at the scene before her. Seeing her parents back together, as well as Rogue and Yukino reunited, made her realize that she managed to do something right in the end. She had started out on her quest with selfish intentions, even if she didn't admit it then. But in the end, she abandoned those intentions. In doing so, she found her true strength and courage. To care for others and to fight for them, that was what she had forgotten for a long time.

But now the result of her efforts was right in front of her, and it was heart-warming.

After Natsu and Lucy pulled away from each other, Lucy gently took him by the hand.

"C'mon," she said. "Minerva and some other members of the guild are making a feast for everyone, and we're invited."

"Sounds good to me." Natsu grinned.

"Yeah, me too." Alu nodded.

The three Dragneels all turned to exit the infirmary. They knew that they didn't have to wait for Rogue and Yukino. After their time apart, those two needed some time together. However, as Alu turned to look back, she saw Rogue lift himself up, help Yukino sit up, and then reach for something in his left pocket and pull something out. It looked like a little velvet box. Alu stopped behind the side of the doorway and peeked around to see what was happening.

Without speaking a single word, Rogue got down on one knee and opened the box. Inside it was a shining silver ring. A smile slowly grew across Alu's face as Rogue took Yukino's left hand and slipped the ring onto her ring finger. Yukino's eyes filled with heartfelt tears and smiled happily. She then nodded in a silent response. Rogue smiled in return and sat on the side of her bed. There, the Dragon Slayer pulled the Celestial Wizard into his arms, and she snuggled up against his chest.

 _"Oh, how sweet!"_ Alu said in her mind.

"Hey, Alu!" Natsu called. "You comin'?!"

Alu jolted a little at the sudden call and turned to see both Natsu and Lucy looking back at her. She immediately set out in a light jog towards them. As soon as she reached them, they began to walk down the hall towards the main part of the Sabertooth Guild.

It was then that Natsu and Lucy felt something warm grab their hands. They both looked down to see Alu walking between them, holding each of their hands in hers.

"Mom, Dad," she said softly. "Thank you, for everything. I am glad that you're my parents in this life."

Natsu and Lucy looked at each other. They weren't expecting that. But they both smiled as the sentiment touched them both.

"And we're glad to have you as our daughter." Natsu said with sincerity.

Alu looked up at her father and smiled brightly. Those weren't a lot of words, but they spoke volumes.

They were now a family again.


	38. Chapter 38: You're You

**Chapter 38**

 **You're You**

During the dinner at the Sabertooth guildhall, Alu and her family were treated like the guests of honor. By now, Sting and the others had told everyone about the fight at Fairy Tail. How Ivan attacked the guild, how Alu showed up with all the Zodiac Spirits and Draco, and how she saved both Natsu and Yukino's souls. On top of that, they had heard Natsu shout to Rogue that Yukino had woken up, which elated all of them.

Everywhere Alu turned, Sabertooth wizards came up to her to ask her to tell of her fight with Ivan. She tried to eat her meal, but she could barely get a bite in edgeways with all these questions being thrown at her.

"So you're a Celestial Dragon Slayer? That's so cool!"

"Did you really summon all the Zodiac Spirits?"

"You've got a Dragon Spirit now? I didn't know that one existed! Can we see him?"

"How did you get Yukino's soul back?"

By the time the hundredth question rolled around, Alu was too exhausted to answer. It was only when Natsu yelled at everyone to shut up and leave her alone that they finally got the hint to back off.

It also helped when Rogue and Yukino both walked into the room. They became the ones who were getting swarmed with questions and expressions of gladness and joy. Everyone was just so happy to have their Sabertooth Celestial Wizard back.

Things only got even better when the Shadow Dragon Slayer and Celestial Wizard announced their engagement. The two of them instantly received congratulations, and some other wizards even cried with happiness.

Sting, who was grinning away like an idiot, gave Rogue a friendly punch on the shoulder, saying that it was about time Rogue manned up and proposed. This only made Rogue look back at Sting with an unenthused frown. Frosch, crying uncontrollably with joy, flew into Yukino's arms. The young woman tenderly hugged him and petted the back of his head. Minerva approached the white-haired wizard and put an arm around her shoulders, giving a small smirk of approval.

After the meal was over, Sting, Lector, Rogue, Frosch, Yukino, and Minerva all walked up to the front of the guild hall. Once they were all up there, Sting gave sharp whistle to get everyone's attention. Any and all conversations quickly grew silent and everyone turned to look at the Sabertooth Guild Master.

"Brothers and sisters of Sabertooth." Sting said in a firm, clear voice. "Today is definitely a day for celebration. Yukino's soul has returned, and we have Alu Dragneel of Fairy Tail to thank for that."

Sting then motioned with his hand to where Alu was sitting. Alu shrunk back a bit and a blush came over her cheeks. She looked over to her parents for advice. Both of them made silent encouragements for her to stand up so that everyone could see her. She did it slowly and with hesitation. The moment everyone could see her, all the Sabertooth wizards erupted with cheers, whoops, and whistles of elation. This made Alu just feel all the more uncomfortable, she wasn't really used to all this attention. Regardless of that, she managed to give a small, nervous smile and waved a little. She immediately sat back down as soon as she felt like she had received enough acclamation.

Sting then gave a firm clap with his hands, turning everyone's attention back to him.

"In light of the recent events," Sting said, "we have decided to invite Fairy Tail over to Sabertooth tomorrow night for a celebration! So let's get ready to party!"

Enthusiastic cheers rang through the Sabertooth guildhall. They were all just so happy about having a member of their guild family return that they were all up for a party. And if Fairy Tail was going to be joining in on the fun, then they were down with that as well.

However, as soon as Fairy Tail was mention, Alu tensed and gave a worried face. In that moment, something occurred to her. If the Fairy Tail guild was coming tomorrow, that meant Master Makarov was going to be coming as well. Considering how Alu broke several guild rules, and that she had endangered the guild by running away, the young Celestial Dragon Slayer began to fear the worst.

She knew perfectly well what the rules were for anyone who would endanger the guild.

Banishment from Fairy Tail.

While everyone else was excited for the party that was going to happen tomorrow, Alu had suddenly lost her appetite.

* * *

 _Later that night…_

Since it had grown so late, Natsu, Lucy, and Alu had to stay the night at one of the Sabertooth wizards' houses. Luckily, Minerva was generous enough to offer them an invitation to stay at her place, which was big enough to house all of them.

While Natsu and Lucy shared a room, Minerva slept in her own room, while Alu insisted on sleeping on the sofa in the living room. Minerva gave them all a new change of clothing so that she could throw their dirty ones into the wash. Natsu and Alu cloths in particular needed a good wash.

Not only that, but while the wound on Alu's stomach had healed, leaving behind only a jagged scar, Natsu scarf had a huge blood stain on it. Luckily, Minerva had a stain-remover lacrima that she threw in with the wash along with the cloths.

At the moment, Alu was dressed in a black, loose-fitting t-shirt with grey pants, leaving only her feet bare.

In the stillness of the night, Alu found it hard to fall asleep. It wasn't that the sofa was uncomfortable. In fact, it was very soft and comfy, almost like she was laying on a cloud. What kept Alu awake was her constant thoughts that were speeding through her brain in an endless loop. She just laid flat on her back and stared up at the ceiling with a melancholy look on her face.

Everything that had happened earlier that day, the fights with Ivan, regaining her soul and discovering her true identity, being reunited with Draco, and regaining the memories of her past life; it was a lot for Alu to take in. She still couldn't process it all.

Not to mention, she was still feeling guilty about what happened to her father. She winced at the memory of him putting himself between her and Ivan's attack. Natsu knew what the consequences would be for doing that, but he did it anyway to save Alu.

He was willing to give up his soul just to save her. Just something about the mere thought of that made Alu tighten her mouth.

Finally, Alu sat up and got up off the sofa. She walked around it and over to a sliding glass door just behind it. She undid the latch and slowly opened it. She stepped out onto the porch and into the night air. She then walked up to the railing and leaned out over it. She turned her eyes up to the sky and gazed at the stars.

 _"I used to do this when I couldn't sleep in my past life,"_ she thought to herself. _"Maybe it'll help now."_

Alu's eyes scanned over the constellations in the night sky. She was able to identify a few like Cancer, Leo, Aquarius, and Aries. However, when her eyes drifted over to one large constellation in particular, she stopped and she smiled up at it.

It was Draco's constellation. While it had always been up there in the sky, it seemed to be shining brighter than before. It clearly meant that Draco was now back in the Celestial World where he belonged.

As Alu thought about that magnificent Dragon, a thought suddenly struck her. It made her blink and give a weird face.

"Now that I think about," she mumbled to herself, "I've got two fathers. Well, technically one's a foster father, but still, that's kind of weird. Then again, the fact I remember just about everything is weird. It's like I know myself, and yet I don't. It's like I've got two sets of memories in me now."

"Hey, you okay?" said a voice from behind.

Alu gasped in alarm and spun around to see who had spoken to her. The moment she saw who it was, she let a deep breath of air.

Natsu was standing in the doorway. He was dressed in a grew T-shirt, black pants, and was barefoot. His eyes were droopy, and his body kind of sagged from exhaustion. He had clearly just woken up.

"Oh, Dad," Alu said. "You scared me."

"Sorry, didn't mean to." Natsu apologized. "I just heard the glass door open and thought I should check it out. Is something wrong?"

Alu paused at that question and glanced away. That was enough to tell Natsu that something was on her mind. He walked over to the railing, coming up on Alu's left side, and leaned on it just like how she was doing it.

"You can talk to me, you know." Natsu said calmly. "And you might as well. I can tell when you're feeling sad."

"I know, Dad." Alu replied, staring straight ahead. "It's just…a lot happened today. I'm still having a hard time processing it."

"I can understand that." Natsu said. "I gotta say, it was shock for me and your mother when Loke and the others told us that you were a reincarnation."

Alu looked over at her father for a second before turning away.

"You're…not think going to think of me different now, are you?" she asked hesitantly.

"What do you mean?" Natsu asked.

Alu paused again and frowned. Part of the reason for that was because she was thinking of the right words to say, and the other reason was because of the subject that was on her mind.

Then again, this was her dad that she was talking to. She could be honest with him.

"I mean," Alu said slowly, her voice low and unsure, "Now that you know I'm a reincarnation, you'll still think of me as your daughter, right? You won't just see me as a product of some Spell, right?"

Natsu blinked at what Alu was saying. But he kept his mouth closed. He knew Alu had more to say, and it was best if he waited until she was done talking before he said anything.

"I'm sorry," Alu lowered her head sadly, "but the more I think about it, the more I feel like you and Mom were forced into everything. From meeting, to marrying, to even having me. All just so I could be reborn and complete the Spell. Heck, even my name was planned out in advanced. I guess…I just feel responsible for everything. And I can't help but feel like I somehow forced you and Mom into this, when…maybe you shouldn't have been. Everyone should be free to make their own futures. But I feel like I manipulated the situation for you two. I'm sorry."

Alu fell silent. She didn't know what else to say. She just waited for her dad to say something.

Much to her surprise, Natsu began chuckle.

Alu looked over at him with wide, surprised eyes. What was so funny?

"That's just silly, Alu." Natsu said with a grin. "I don't feel forced into anything. And I don't see it that way at all."

Natsu then reached out his right hand and placed it on Alu's head. He then ruffled her short hair a bit.

"And for your information," he said, "your mom and I got married because we were so used to arguing and making it up again that marriage was the best way to make it more convenient."

Alu smiled and strained to hold back a laughter.

"Get outta here!" she snickered.

"It's true." Natsu replied casually. "Just ask her yourself."

Natsu's eyes then softened a bit.

"That, and because I wanted to have her on my team for the rest of my life," he said. "And now, with you and Happy, we're the best team ever. But you know what, I see that as my choice and Lucy's. And having you was our choice, too. And even if we were chosen to be hosts for your soul, I'm proud of that. Because in a way, we also saved your life."

Alu blinked twice. She hadn't thought of it like that before, but Natsu was right. If he and Lucy hadn't met, or if the Reincarnation Spell wasn't cast at all, she would be dead right now.

They did save her life, even before she was their daughter.

"Besides," Natsu continued, "reincarnation or not, you're still you. You're Alu Layla Dragneel of Fairy Tail. That's the name we gave you. You're still our daughter, and no one can take that away from you, no matter what. And nothing will ever change the fact that I'm proud to be your father. I wouldn't trade you for anyone else."

Alu stared at her father for a minute, her eyes so wide that they started to water up. Finally, she gave a genuine smile. Her father was right, she was her.

She was Alu Layla Dragneel, daughter of Natsu and Lucy Dragneel, wizard of Fairy Tail, and the Celestial Dragon Slayer reborn. Nothing could ever change that.

At last, Alu moved from the spot and hugged her father. Natsu responded by smiling and wrapping his arms around his daughter. Alu felt safe and warm in those arms. She always had, ever since she was born. An unlike before, Alu found the strength in her own arms to return the hug.

"Thanks, Dad." Alu said softly. "I love you."

"I love you, too, kiddo." Natsu replied in the same tone.

For a few minutes, the two stood on the porch, cherishing their father-and-daughter embrace.

At last, the two pulled away and Alu looked up at her dad.

Much to her surprise, his face had changed from a warm smile to a very pensive look.

"Now, I've got a question for ya." Natsu said.

"What is it?" Alu asked, blinking.

"How did you know Aries's wool was combustible?" Natsu replied, sounding genuinely curious.

Alu was so shocked by the sudden change of subject, and just how that it was presented, that she gave a small laugh.

"Oh, that," she grinned. "We found that one out the fun way. It was shortly after I discovered I had Dragon Slayer Magic."

* * *

 _Six Years Ago, in the East Forest…_

 _"Open, Gate of the Golden Ram! Aries!"_

 _In a puff of pink, wooly smoke, Aries appeared right in front of Alu._

 _"I'm sorry, Alu," she said timidly. "Did you summon me? Is there something you need me to do for you?"_

 _"Hey, Aries." Alu smiled brightly. "I'm doing some Dragon Slayer training today. I would have Dad help me, but he's off on a mission right now. So could you help me with some target practice?"_

 _At the mention of "target practice", Aries face involuntarily changed to worried and she backed away. In an instant, she remembered all the times she had been used as a target by her previous key-holders before she became Lucy's Spirit._

 _Alu immediately realized what she had implied and quickly raised her hands._

 _"Oh, no!" she said quickly, grinning awkwardly. "Sorry! I didn't mean it like that! I don't want to use you as the target! I just need you to make Wool Bomb targets for me!"_

 _"Oh." Aries blinked, releasing the tension in her body. "I see. I guess I can do that. What do you want me to do?"_

 _"Well," Alu replied, putting her hands on her hips, "I want to test the strength of my Breath Attack first. Could you make a large Wool Bomb me?"_

 _"Okay, I'll do my best." Aries nodded._

 _With that, Aries summoned a large wool bomb that was about the size of an average boulder. Alu stepped forward and planted her feet firmly on the ground. Although she was still new to her Dragon Slayer Magic, she at least knew that she needed a good stance to get the basics down._

 _"Watch this." Alu winked at Aries._

 _Alu turned her attention back to the cloud of pink cotton in front of her. She then took a deep breath, making her lungs expand, and she clenched her fists._

 _"FIRE DRAGON ROAR!" she shouted._

 _A stream of pale orange fire shot fire shot from Alu's mouth. In that split second, Alu and Aries both thought that the wool was just going to disappear the moment Alu's fire came in contact with it._

 _However, they were in for a shock._

 _The minute Alu's Dragon Fire touched that wool, the flames spread around it wickedly fast, and there was a tremendous explosion that expanded across the forest. And Alu and Aries got caught up in the middle of it._

 _The next thing those two knew, the force of the explosion flying out of the forest and up into the sky. They were both screaming as they sailed through the air. They must've flown at least half a mile before they found themselves falling down back toward the forest. Neither one stopped screaming as they fell through the trees. They hit the slope of small hill hard and tumbled head-over-heels until they ended up at the bottom into a patch of grass and dirt._

 _For a moment, the young wizard girl and Celestial Spirit just laid where they were, completely dazed. Aries was flat on her back, while Alu was faced down in the ground with her arms and legs spread out. Both of them had smoke stains all over them. Alu's hair was even more messed up than it was before, and Aries hair looked like it had been struck by lightening and then quickly blown back by the wind. For a few seconds, both them just heard ringing sounds in their ears._

 _Finally, Alu slowly lifted her head, her brain still swimming with dizziness. She quickly shook it away and blinked a few times to get rid of the black dots dancing in front of her eyes. Aries carefully lifted herself up and gripped her head, feeling just as dizzy as Alu was. Once the feeling had subsided, Aries breathed heavily and began to inspect herself for any injury._

 _"That…" Alu suddenly said, "was…AWESOME!"_

 _Alu immediately sprung to her feet with excitement. The sudden action made Aries lean back and look at Alu with a concern expression. She knew Alu well enough by now to know what happens when she gets excited by something._

 _And right now, she looked overly-excited. Not only did she have an ecstatic expression on her face, but she was also quickly walking up and down._

 _"Oh, that was so cool!" Alu said with over-the-top eagerness. "Oh, just imagine what would happen if we could use that in battle! Nobody would know what hit them! OOOOH, Aries, we gotta do it again!"_

 _"Again?!" Aries whined._

 _"WHAT ARE YOU BRATS DOING HERE?!" an old woman's voice suddenly shrieked with angry annoyance._

 _Alu and Aries both turned sharply around. It was only now that they noticed where they landed._

 _Right outside of Porlyusica's house._

 _And right now, that said healer woman was running at them with a broom in her hands. Judging by the way she was holding it, she wasn't intending on using it to sweep the steps. Most like to knock the heads off of the intruders._

 _Even though Porlyusica saw who was outside of her house, she wasn't exactly in the mood for unexpected guests._

 _"Whoops, gotta run!" Alu laughed._

 _Before Porlyusica reached the two trespassers, Alu darted over, grabbed Aries to quickly help her up, and the two made a hasty, as well as clumsy, retreat through the forest. The elderly woman chased them for only a few more feet before coming to a stop._

 _"DON'T YOU TWO EVER DO THAT AGAIN, YOU HEAR ME!" Porlyusica screeched, waving her broom in the air._

 _"Sorry, Grandma Porlyusica!" Alu shouted back cheekily._

 _"AND DON'T EVER CALL ME THAT, YOU LITTLE WHIPPER-SNAPPER!"_

 _Alu just laughed out out of childish ignorance as she and Aries continued to make their escape._

* * *

By the time Alu was done telling her story, Natsu was leaning on the railing with one arm wrapped around his stomach. He was laughing so hard that he got tears in his eyes.

"Oh, gosh!" he said through his laughter. "That's best thing I've heard in my life!"

"I know, right!" Alu replied, laughing just as hard as her dad.

"Geez, Alu! You're so reckless!"

"You're one to talk! But then again, I take after you, remember?!"

Eventually, Natsu and Alu both calmed down. They both stood up tall and wiped their eyes. Then, Alu opened her mouth and gave a huge yawn. It was only now that she realized just how tired she was.

"Well," Natsu shrugged, "we should get back to bed. Gotta be rested for the party tomorrow. All of Fairy Tail's gonna be there."

On that reminder, Alu's face fell. Natsu caught it and immediately became concerned.

"Alu?"

Alu lowered her shoulders and hung her head. There was no point in hiding her worry from her dad. He was going to find out anyway.

"I'll have to face Gramps tomorrow," she said miserably. "I don't think he's forgiven me for running off like I did."

"Hey, Gramps isn't like that." Natsu answered. "You know that as well as I do."

"But I put the guild in danger." Alu looked up at her dad. "I know what the punishment is for endangering the guild. What if…that happens to me?"

"It won't." Natsu said. "I told you, Alu, Ivan was the one who threatened the guild, not you."

"But he saw an opportunity because I ran away and he found me. If I hadn't done that, we probably would've stood a better chance."

Alu sighed heavily. She knew there was no use in dwelling on what might have happened if she did things differently. What happened happened, and she had to face it like the Fairy Tail Wizard she was.

"I'll just have to bite the bullet and own up." Alu said in a serious tone. "I made this mess, so I'm gonna clean it up, regardless of the consequences."

Natsu closed his eyes and smiled proudly. He then reached out his hand again and placed it on Alu's head. Alu watched as her father pressed his forehead to hers.

"You sure have grown up," he said with encouraging warmth. "That's my girl. Just remember, I'll be right behind you tomorrow, no matter what happens. No matter where you end up going, I'll always be looking your way."

Alu gave a soft smile and nodded. It was true. Her father had always been looking her way. He was always watching over her, protecting her, and supporting her in the life she had now. It didn't matter how many times she went astray, or when she took his fatherly love for granted, or when she was wrong, he was always on her side.

She finally realized it.

All this time, she thought she was in his shadow. When really, he was the one who was in her shadow. He let her stand in front of him, so that she could shine. He gave her his strength so that she could be stronger.

That was just who he was. And that's what made him her hero.

On that note, Natsu leaned back from Alu and the two turned to walk back into the house. The soft smile on Alu's face never faded for a second.

 _"I really am one lucky girl."_ Alu thought to herself.


	39. Chapter 39: Inheritance

**Chapter 39**

 **Inheritance**

The very next morning, the whole Sabertooth Guild began preparations for the party that was to take place that evening. After they had gotten dressed in their regular clothes, Natsu, Lucy, and Alu all made their way to the guild hall and began to help out. They assisted in putting up streamers, banners, and sweeping the floors.

Around lunchtime, Alu asked for her mother and Yukino to follow her to the outskirts of the city. Although curious and unsure of what Alu had in mind, Lucy and Yukino followed her without question.

Once the three wizards were in the forest outside of the city, Alu stopped in the middle of a clearing and raised her arms out. As she did, the golden Zodiac keys and Draco's Key on her belt. At the same time, Lucy and Yukino's Zodiac Keys began to glow. In addition, the black key on Yukino's keychain began to shine as well.

"Open, Gates of the Zodiac and Dragon!" Alu commanded.

In just a few seconds, all of the Zodiac Spirits appeared out of their own gates. The armor they had during their fight with Ivan and the Neo Zodiacs was now gone, and they were back in their regular forms.

Draco had changed back to his standard size, which was the size of Ophiuchus.

Seeing the Dragon and Snake Charmer Spirits immediately made Lucy and Yukino realize why Alu wanted to summon the Zodiac Spirits outside of the city. They would've been too big for the place to hold. At least out here they had some more room.

At the same time, neither one could stop marveling over how powerful Alu's Magic was now.

"She can open fourteen gates at once." Lucy said to Yukino, astonished. "And she doesn't even look fatigued. It's insane. I remember when she couldn't open more than two gates. And that was just one at a time."

"I must say," Yukino breathed, "she's quite remarkable. Her Magic's grown significantly."

"Yeah, it's like she went from underpowered to overpowered overnight."

As the two exchanged the small conversation, Alu walked up to Loke and gave a small bow. Loke responded by bowing in respect.

"It's great to see you all again, Leo." Alu smiled. "Oh, I mean Loke."

"Either name's fine, Alu." Loke said coolly. "Killer job the other night, by the way. Takin' out all those phony Zodiacs. Of course, we expected no less from you."

"Well, I couldn't have done it without you guys." Alu replied humbly. "Thank you all so much. You really saved Fairy Tail."

"Hey, it's just awesome to have ya back, Alu Dragneel!" Scorpio spoke up with his typical enthusiasm. "Talk about wicked!"

"Yeah," Alu rubbed the back of her neck, "I'm sorry guys had to wait so long."

"Well, you certainly took time getting here." Aquarius said with a playful snobbish tone. She then glanced over at Lucy. "Then again, your mother took forever to final hook up with your father."

"Hey!" Lucy snapped, her face turning a little red.

Alu just smiled and shook her head. She understood that Aquarius was just being sarcastic, and decided to let the joke roll off her.

"Heh, you haven't changed a bit, Aquarius," she said. "It's kind of reassuring, actually."

"Well," Taurus suddenly said, "don't mean to be pushy, Miss Aluuuuuu, but is there any reason you called us here."

"I was just getting to that, Taurus." Alu answered in a kind of sophisticated way.

As she did, Lucy put a hand to her mouth and whispered to Yukino, "You know, that's the first time I've seen those two have a conversation without Alu beating the snot out of Taurus."

"That happens a lot?" Yukino said with wide eyes.

"More than you know." Lucy shrugged.

Yukino was about to ask another question when Alu said something that caught both her and Lucy's attention.

"It's about our contracts." Alu stated, immediately becoming more serious. "I know the moment I regained the last piece of my soul and summoned you, your contracts with my mom and Yukino were terminated."

"What?!" Lucy exclaimed in shock.

"Alu, what did you say?!" Yukino said in distress.

Alu opened her mouth to answer, but Loke jumped in before she could reply.

"I'm sorry, Lucy," he said, sounding genuinely sincere. "But when we cast the Reincarnation Spell, we also made one more contract with Alu. Once she was fully awakened, our contracts with her would automatically be remade. But in doing that, we would have to terminate our contracts with our current Celestial Wizards."

"Normally, Celestial Spirits cannot terminate contracts." Capricorn explained, his voice serious. "But Alu was the very first one we formed contracts with. Not to mention, that contract we made was an ancient vow. One that could not be broken. None of us mean to cause either of you pain, but we are bound to keep are promises. We hope you understand, Lady Lucy."

Lucy stared for a moment before looking down sadly. She could see where the Spirits had a point, but it still didn't stop the hurt of no longer being contracted to them. They were part of her family, just as Natsu and Alu were. And while she knew that they were in good hands with her daughter, she couldn't help but feel sad.

"I understand," she said in a low voice. "And I am glad that you have a good Celestial Wizard to take care of you."

Yukino said nothing. She just lowered her head and clasped her hands together.

It was then that Alu stepped back into the conversation.

"Don't look so down, you two," she said. She then turned to the Zodiacs. "I know we made that promise back then, and we have kept it. Now that I am back, I want you to remake your contracts with Mom and Yukino."

As soon as Alu said that, both Lucy and Yukino looked up at her in hopeful surprise. The Spirits of the Zodiac all looked at the pink-haired girl with wide eyes. They weren't really expecting her to say that.

"I know how much you all mean to Mom and Yukino." Alu went on. "And I know they mean a lot to you, too. And it's not like I'll never see you guys again. I don't want to take you away from your wizards, especially since they care for you just as much as I do. So please, I want you to remake your contracts with them."

All the Zodiac Spirits looked at one another. There was something in their faces that showed they wanted to remake their old contracts, but at the same time, they also wanted to keep their contracts with the one who had first made their keys and became part of their family in the past. The only ones who didn't look so conflicted were Aries, Cancer, Gemini, and Capricorn. Mostly because they didn't have to worry about remaking their contracts. Although they did show concern for their fellow Zodiac Spirits.

Alu also seemed to have mixed feelings about the whole arrangement as well, even if she was trying to hide them. She didn't want to take the Spirits away from the key-holders they loved, but she also didn't want to give them up either. She had waited for a long time to see these Spirits again; to fight alongside them and to go on adventures with.

Lucy and Yukino both sensed this and looked at each other. In their minds, the two of them thought that Alu should have all the Zodiac Keys back by rights. After all, in her past life, she was the one who created them in the first place. If it wasn't for her, they never would've met the Spirits. At the same time, they didn't want to say good-bye to the Spirits they had come to love over the years.

None of them knew what to do.

Draco seemed to sense everyone's internal dilemmas. He gave a small, pensive growl before looking down at Alu.

"Alu," he said, "I know you want to return the Spirits to their key-holders, but I can also see you're not ready to say good-bye either. You should set up co-contracts, just like you did with Anna in the past."

Alu looked up at the Dragon Spirit, a bright smile of revelation streaking across her face.

"Draco, that's great idea!" she said excitedly. "Why didn't I think of that before?!"

"Co-contracts?" Yukino questioned. "What's that?"

"It's a lost Celestial Art." Alu explained. "Anna and I first came up with it when I was training her. Basically, it's a contract made between two Celestial Wizards and a Zodiac Spirit. How it works is that two Celestial Wizards can be contracted to a single Celestial Spirit, but they still need their key in order to summon them. It was helpful for me and Anna, considering we were always together. Although, in my case, when I summon the Zodiac all at once, I don't need their keys. Also, Draco's Key is out of the question. I'm the only one who can summon him because of the nature of my Magic."

"It's been a long time since we've made co-contracts." Virgo said in her usual monotone. "But I think it's a fair compromise. Everyone wins, right?"

It was then that Lucy's face brightened in to a smile.

"I think it's a great idea," she said. "And this way, the Zodiac won't be split up ever again."

"I agree." Yukino nodded. "Let's do it. That is, if it's alright with all of you."

Yukino acknowledged all of the Zodiac Spirits.

"I'm down with it, baby." Cancer replied in his regular smooth manner.

"If that is your wish, I will gladly oblige." Sagittarius saluted with pride.

"I say let's do it." Loke grinned. "After all, it's not every day we Spirits are contracted to two lovely ladies."

"Hey, watch it, Leo." Alu said, narrowing her eyes in a playfully stern manner. "I'm no lady."

During the next fifteen minutes, Lucy and Yukino reinstate their old contracts with their Spirits. With Alu, they also forge co-contracts with Leo, Virgo, Sagittarius, Taurus, Pieces, Libra, Scorpio, and Ophiuchus.

"Hey, Mom." Alu spoke up. "How about you and I set up co-contracts with Aries, Gemini, Cancer, and Capricorn. After all, they were yours first."

Lucy looked at Alu for a moment and paused. After a few seconds, she gave a warm smile and slowly shook her head.

"I appreciate the thought, Alu." Lucy said gently, placing a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "But they're your Spirits now. I gave them to you because I knew they would protect you, and that you would take good care of them. They're my gift to you."

Alu stared at her mother with surprise. Then slowly, she smiled graciously and gave a single nod.

"And I have one more gift for you." Lucy winked.

The blonde-haired woman then turned to Aquarius, who had been waiting patiently for them to notice her.

"Yes?" Aquarius said simply.

"Aquarius," Lucy said calmly, "I know I promised that I wouldn't let anyone else have your Key. But if it's alright with you, I would like Alu to be your new Celestial Wizard."

Aquarius just glanced back and forth between Lucy and Alu with her classic dull look. However, for a brief moment, Alu could have sworn she saw the Water Spirit give a quick grin. Finally, Aquarius shrugged.

"Whatever," she said, "you're both part of the same family. Besides, Alu's not that much different from you, Lucy. She's got no grace whatsoever."

"Say that again!" Alu challenged in a teasing way.

This just made Aquarius and Lucy giggle.

Immediately after that, Alu and Aquarius worked out a contract.

When all that was over, Lucy, Yukino, and Alu all expressed their gratitude to the Celestial Spirits.

"We hope to fight alongside you again." Loke said, winking and giving a sharp wave. "Until then, see ya around."

With one final wave of good-bye, the Spirits of the Zodiac all closed their gates and returned to the Celestial World. Only Draco stayed behind a little longer. He brought his head down to Alu, who reached up to hug it. The two shared a heartfelt reunion as Alu embraced Draco's large snout, and he nuzzled her.

"Summon me whenever you need me, Alu." Draco said. "I'm always ready to rush to your side."

"Thanks, Draco." Alu whispered. "I know you'll always have my back. You always do."

The two then slowly parted. Draco gave one last smile before disappearing back to the Celestial World.

Alu then let out a big exhale and turned back to her mother and Sabertooth wizard.

"Well, now that that's done," she said, "we should get back. We still have to get ready for the party."

"Yes, let's get going." Yukino replied.

Without another word, the three wizards made their way back to the Sabertooth guild. As they made their way through the streets, Alu looked down at the cobblestone ground with a pensive expression on her face. Once again, she had something on her mind that she couldn't stop thinking about. She had gotten one problem out of the way, but that was the easy one. Her biggest one was yet to come.

She would have to face Master Makarov, as well as the entire Fairy Tail guild. Goodness knows how she was going to handle that. But it was coming, and there was nothing she could do about that. She would just have to own up and face like the Fairy Tail Wizard she was.

Even if that mean she would no longer be a Fairy Tail Wizard by the end of the night.

* * *

 _That evening…_

At around six o'clock, the Fairy Tail wizards arrived at Sabertooth. The first ones to enter the guild were Happy and Violet. The two Exceeds flew in at almost Mach Speed and immediately headed for their partners.

"OH, NATSU!" Happy cried as he slammed right into the said Dragon Slayer.

Natsu laughed as Happy collided with him, and he raised his hands to hug the flying blue cat.

"Hey, little buddy." Natsu said. "Glad to see you're okay."

"Oh, Natsu!" Happy bawled with happiness. "You're back! You're back! You're back!"

Natsu knew from experience that the only thing he could do right now was just comfort Happy. The poor Exceed was in such a state of intense relief and happiness that he couldn't stop crying. Best thing to do was wait until he could get ahold of himself.

Meanwhile, Violet flew straight into Alu's arms. The pink-haired girl smiled brightly as she hugged the purple Exceed, gently squeezing her like she was a fuzzy, soft stuff-animal.

"Alu!" Violet said joyfully. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

"Same to you, Violet." Alu replied. "Thanks again for all your help. I couldn't have gotten this far without you."

Violet looked up at Alu gave a huge smile.

"I guess it was a good thing we met each other," she said. "If we hadn't, I don't think either of us would be here right now."

"Yeah." Alu nodded.

"Oh, almost forgot." Violet quickly added. "I talked to the Master of Fairy Tail."

At the mention of Makarov, Alu's face fell a little bit.

"I told him all about your journey." Violet went on, not noticing Alu's reaction. "I also told him about how you confronted Ivan in the forest. And how you fought to save your father. I also told him about your transformation. I told him everything."

"Thanks, Violet." Alu said softly. "Now the rest is up to me."

Just as Alu said that, Makarov came walking up through the crowd towards her. As he did, the whole guild fell silent as the Fairy Tail and Sabertooth wizards stopped what they were doing to see what would happen next.

"Alu." Makarov said in a low voice.

Alu turned to look at the short old man, who had stopped just a few feet away from her. He wasn't looking at her like he was angry with her, but the ambiguity in his expression did make Alu feel uncomfortable.

From beside her, Lucy stepped forward.

"Master, I can explain-!" she began to say almost desperately.

However, Natsu quickly reached out and grabbed Lucy shoulder. The young woman turned to her husband, and saw the look in his eyes. He was silently telling her that they had to let Alu handle this. The only thing they could do was stand behind her and give her their support, like they always had.

Alu took a deep breath and let Violet go, who summoned her Aera wings and hovered in the air beside her human friend.

Alu then stepped forward, feeling the eyes of everyone in the room focused on her. She cast her gaze downward and frowned. At the same time, she clasped her hands firmly together.

"Gramps," she said stiffly with guilt, "I know you're mad at me. But…I just want to say."

Alu paused for a moment as she searched for the right words to say. She had been rehearsing this apology over and over in her mind for the past two hours, but now it was completely blank. She had completely forgotten what she was going to say.

She would just have to go with her gut. Admit she was wrong, and just be honest.

Finally, Alu gave a deep bow.

"I'm really sorry," she said sincerely. "Sorry to everyone."

At the sound of that, everyone from Fairy Tail gasped in surprise. This was the first time Alu had ever gave a genuine apology. Usually, she would be sour about so much as saying an apologetic word to anyone. But that wasn't the case this time. Alu looked very sad, almost like she was defeated.

Alu sensed everyone's bewilderment, but she didn't stop. She just let her words flow out of her mouth.

"I screwed up, I know that," she went on. "I know disobeyed orders and broke guild rules. My actions put all of Fairy Tail in danger. But believe me, I never wanted anyone to get hurt. If I had known about Ivan, I never would've left Magnolia in first place. But I did. And there's nothing I can do about it now. I know what the rules are for endangering the guild. I just want you to know that I'm really sorry for the trouble I caused, and I'm ready to accept the consequences."

Alu then shut her eyes and bit her lips, waiting for Makarov's answer.

The Fairy Tail Master looked at Alu thoughtfully. He wasn't really expecting her to do something like this. She seemed to be a completely different person than the Alu he knew before. The Alu he knew would've talked back to him and tried to place the blame on someone else.

But that wasn't the Alu he saw in front of him now. She was taking full responsibility for her actions, and she was facing them with honor.

As Makarov considered this, a voice suddenly spoke up from the crowd.

"Master, if I may say something!"

Makarov turned to his left to see who had spoken, and Alu looked up. To her surprise, she saw Ash step out of the crowd.

"Yes, Ash?" Makarov said.

"Master," Ash said strongly, "I know I might be speaking out of terms, but please hear me out. I know Alu ran off without anyone knowing, but I can assure you she had good intentions. She didn't know about Ivan. She wasn't the one who put the guild in danger. Ivan was the one who attacked us."

"Bro's right," another voice said sharply.

Alu blinked in confusion when she saw Ur walk out of the crowd to stand next to her brother.

"And as much as I hate to admit it," Ur said, folding her arms across her front, "the tulip-head did save our butts. She was able to summon all the Zodiac Spirits to come to our aid. And she got a Dragon on our side ta-boot. If it wasn't for her, we'd all probably be goners right now."

It was then that Carol stepped forward.

"I agree," she said firmly, putting her hands on her hips. "In fact, it's probably a good thing Alu ran away. If she hadn't encountered Ivan, we wouldn't have known about him ahead of time, and we would've been unprepared for his attack. Alu didn't put the guild in danger. If anything, she saved it."

Alu straightened herself up. At first, she was surprised to see her three friends come to her defense. She wasn't expecting that. But they did.

Alu couldn't help but give a touched smile as their support lifted her spirits. Even after all she put them through, they were still standing by her side. She didn't even care that Ur had called her "tulip-head", the Water Wizard was still standing up for her.

Not only did she have a great family, she also had great friends.

"You guys." Alu whispered gratefully.

After hearing the three young wizards speak, Makarov gave a warm smile and lowered his head. He then turned back to Alu and looked up at her.

"Do no fear, child," he said. "I never planned to banish you from Fairy Tail."

Alu's mouth fell open and her eyes widened.

"You didn't put the guild in danger," Makarov continued, "you just got mixed up in Ivan's plans. But even then, you still fought to save not just Fairy Tail, but your family as well."

Makarov quickly glanced over at Natsu. Natsu smiled and nodded in response. Makarov then turned back to Alu.

"And from what Violet has told me," he said, "I think this was a journey you were suppose to take. Everyone has a journey in life their meant to take. And sometimes it comes when we least expect it. But when it does, all we can do is follow our hearts, to wherever they may lead us. And yours led you here. You've grown so much. Well done, Alu, dear."

Alu brought a fist up to her mouth, trying to contain the flood of emotions in her heart from escaping. For once, Master Makarov looked proud of her. Not only him, everyone in the guild seemed to be smiling at her. She had never had this kind of attention before. It was an overwhelming feeling, but also so wonderful.

Especially since it was for all the right reasons now.

"Still, I…" Alu hesitated, "I guess I should still be punished, right?"

"Nah, I don't think so." Laxus said as he came up from behind his grandfather. "After what Ivan put you through, I think you've been through enough punishment."

"Agreed." Makarov said solemnly. "And I apologize you got caught up in our family feud. That good for nothing son of mine put you through hell because you got in the crossfire."

Alu frowned as Makarov said that. It was then that Erza came forward.

"But that's over now," she said kindly. "And thanks to you, Alu, Fairy Tail is finally safe from Ivan's threat. Well done."

Alu stared at Titania Erza with wide eyes, as did everyone else. For it was high praise if Erza complimented someone. After taking it in, Alu smiled happily and tears began to well up in her eyes.

Suddenly, Ash punched the air with his fist.

"Three cheers for Alu, the Celestial Dragon Slayer!" he shouted triumphantly.

"Yeah, three cheers!" Carol joined in.

Ur shrugged before stepping forward and raising a fist in the air.

"HUZZAH!" she said, with a surprising amount of passion in her voice.

"HUZZAH!" the whole guild erupted as wizards from both Fairy Tail and Sabertooth raised their voice in victory. "HUZZAH! HUZZAH!"

That's when Alu began to cry. She covered her eyes with her hands and let her tears flow from her eyes. Strangely, she felt no shame in letting others see her cry. She was happy that everyone was just there, safe and alive.

Alu then darted from her place and over to Ash, Ur, and Carol. She then somehow grabbed all three in a fierce embrace. While Ur was reluctant and uncomfortable about the sudden hug, Ash and Carol both laughed and added their contribution.

"Hey, what's that for?" Ash asked, his cheeks turning a little red.

"Thank you, guys." Alu sobbed happily. "You're the best. You all are."

* * *

 _Two Hours Later…_

The celebration with the Fairy Tail and Sabertooth Wizards was certainly one worth having. Music played, the finest food was served, and everyone joined with with one conversation with another. It was one of those parties that made everyone forget about which guild they came from, and just encouraged them to relax and have a good time.

Natsu and Lucy sat at one of the tables, and were chatting with Happy, Violet Erza, Grey, Juvia, and Laxus.

"I must say, Natsu and Lucy," Erza said after she took a bite of her strawberry cake, "your daughter is quite remarkable. I could feel her Magic Power when she showed up to save us. She might even be on par with the S-Class wizards."

"Maybe even above." Juvia replied. "I felt her Magic Power, too."

"I think everyone did." Grey shrugged. "Gotta say, I didn't know she had that in her."

"That's our Alu for ya." Natsu said, smiling his classic smile. "She never ceases to amaze us."

Laxus leaned back in his chair then gave a serious expression.

"Something wrong, Laxus?" Violet asked, sounding just a little concerned.

"I'm just amazed that Alu was able to beat the deadbeat of a dad," he mumbled just loud enough for the others to hear.

At the mention of Ivan, Natsu looked up at Laxus. Laxus sensed Natsu gaze and lifted his eyes towards him.

"You're a really lucky guy, Natsu," he said, making Natsu blink in surprise. "Most kids just depend on their parents to protect them, even in their teen years. But Alu fought to save your life. She didn't care about what it might cost her, which is more than I could say for my own father. To be honest, I'm kind of jealous. I bet Ivan could've cared about less about what happened to me if I was in your situation."

Natsu then looked down, rubbing his thumb against the glass cup in his hand.

"I'm the dad of the family," he said in a low voice, narrowing his eyes at the same time. "I should've been the one protecting her. I know she won, but if anything had happened otherwise, if I had lost her, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself."

"Natsu," Lucy said gently, placing a hand on his shoulder, "you did your best. And you did protect her. It was your protection that allowed Alu to become strong. If you hadn't done what you did, Alu would've never unlocked her potential. You gave her your strength when she needed it, just like you always have. And I'm sure Igneel would say the same if he was here. He would be very proud of the man that you've become. Not to mention, the father you've become."

At the mention of his father's name, Natsu's eyes widened a bit. He then drifted his gaze down to his scarf. He raised his hand up to touch it before narrowing his eyes in a pensive way. He paused like that for a good ten seconds. Finally, he closed his eyes and tightened his grip around his scarf just a little. He then took in a deep breath before standing up.

"Natsu?" Happy questioned. "What is it?"

"I'll be right back." Natsu replied.

With that, the Dragon Slayer of Fire walked off through the crowd.

* * *

 _Outside the Sabertooth Guild doors…_

Underneath a starry sky, Alu and Ash stood just a few yards outside of the Sabertooth Guild hall. Each of them had a vanilla cupcake with chocolate frosting in their hand. As Ash ate his quickly, Alu just kept taking small bites out of hers.

"Hey, you okay?" Ash asked.

Alu hesitated for a moment. There was just something she had to get off her chest.

"Ash," Alu said softly, "can I tell you something? And…can you promise not to tell anyone else?"

"Sure." Ash replied. "What is it?"

"I've just been thinking." Alu sighed heavily. "I was trying to figure out whey I was so afraid of Ivan before."

"Hey, I'd be scared of that guy, too." Ash said, taking a bite of his cupcake. "So I don't blame."

"But it wasn't his power that scared me." Alu answered sourly. "In fact, he was a weakling. And a coward. Hiding behind his fake Spirits like some scared little boy."

"Hey!" Ash snapped playfully.

"Sorry, Ash." Alu apologized, snickering lightly. "I didn't mean you. You've got guts."

"Ah, it's okay." Ash shrugged. "But back to the point, do you know what it was about him that scared you?"

"Yeah, I think so."

Alu looked down at her cupcake and frowned. She brought her left hand up to clasp her right hand, and tightened her grip on the little pastry.

"It was because…" Alu said slowly, "Because he was a reflection of what I could've become."

At the confession, Ash stopped in mid-bite and looked at Alu with wide eyes.

"I realized that during our last fight." Alu went on, keeping her gaze down. "The more I think about it, the more I see that Ivan and I had a lot in common. For a while, I just as obsessed with getting more power as he was. I started to hate people around me because I thought they thought I was useless. And I hated myself for being weak. I was too prideful and arrogant. I almost destroyed everything that meant anything. All because I selfish, just like Ivan."

Ash finished up the last of his cupcake. After he chewed it up and swallowed it, he licked the chocolate frosting off his fingers and let out a deep breath of air. He then brought his hands up and began to use them to count.

"Cowardly? Nope." he started to say methodically. "Bent on destruction? Nope. Uses her Spirits as shields? Nope. Runs away from trouble? Oh, definitely nope."

"Um, what are you doing?" Alu asked, looking at Ash with confusion.

"I'm listing all the stuff that separates you from Ivan." Ash explained, smiling at Alu. "He was nothing but a power-hungry coward who would do anything to destroy Fairy Tail. And while you might have been obsessed with power before, you discovered that your family was even more important, didn't you?"

Alu blinked at her friend's explanation. She then looked away bashfully grinned.

"Now I do," she admitted. "When Ivan threatened my dad, I just wanted to protect him. He and Mom had always protected me. I just wanted to do the same."

"It's because you're fearless." Ash said confidently. "You always have been. You don't care what your place in the family is. You fought to protect them, just as they protected you. Not only that, you also saved all of Fairy Tail."

"Yeah," Alu said. "But it's people in it I was fighting to save. I mean, sure, saving the guildhall was good and all, but it's just a building. It's the people who make up the guild that are the most important to me. In my past life, the closest family I had were the Celestials Spirits and Anna. But now, I have lots of people in my life that are part of my family. I while I do miss Anna a lot, I'm at least glad that I got to be born again as part of her bloodline. And not only that, I get to share my life with all of you now. You all mean so much to me. What's more, that now that I'm starting to like myself again, I see just how special everyone is to me."

"Well, I really like you, too, Alu." Ash said, almost sentimentally.

As soon as that sentence left Ash's mouth, Alu tensed up and her cheeks turned a bright shade of pink. In her chest, her heart skipped a beat and she swallowed hard.

"Yeah?" she asked slowly.

Upon realizing what he had just said, Ash jolted a little and gave a startled expression. At the same time, his face blushed a deep crimson, and he inhaled sharply with embarrassment.

"I-I mean," he stuttered, "n-not like, like like. I…uh…Oh c'mon, you know what I mean."

"Uh, yeah, sure." Alu grinning awkwardly, scratching the back of her neck.

"Am I interrupting something?" a deep, sarcastic voice suddenly said.

Both Alu and Ash jumped at sound of that voice and turned sharply to the entrance of the Sabertooth guildhall. Only when Ash saw who had spoken, his face turned from bright red to paper white.

Natsu was standing only a few yards away from the two of them. He had a glazed-over expression on his face, and his arms were folded across his chest.

"Oh, hey, Dad." Alu said, giving a small wave. "We were just chatting. You know, about stuff."

"Hey, it's none of my business." Natsu shrugged. He then turned his attention to Ash, who stiffened when the Dragon Slayer looked at him. "Do you mind, Ash? I wanna speak with my daughter."

"No, 'course not." Ash said quickly. "I'll just…uh…go find my parents. See ya, Alu."

"See ya, Ash." Alu replied.

Ash then began to walk away in a stiff manner. However, as he past Natsu, the Dragon Slayer said to him in low, almost threatening growl,

"I'm not kidding about that stake, you know."

Hearing that made Ash let out an involuntary squeak and he quickened his pace to the point where he was almost running away. What he didn't see was that Natsu just gave a small, impish grin to himself. He wanted to get a reaction out of the kid, and that was just what he was looking for.

"What do you want to talk to me about, Dad?" Alu asked, eating up the rest of her cupcake.

Natsu turned back to his daughter and gave her a grin.

"Yeah, about that," he said. "Close your eyes."

"Huh?"

"Just do it."

Alu paused for a moment at the order. Why was her dad asking her to close her eyes?

Eventually, she just shrugged and closed her eyes. She listened intently with her Dragon hearing to try and make out what her father was doing. She heard him walk closer to her, but at the same time, she thought she heard him fiddling with a piece of clothing, although she wasn't quite sure what it was. She then felt something warm and soft being gently wrapped around her neck, which made her twitch with surprise.

"Okay," Natsu said, "you can open your eyes now."

Alu obeyed and opened her eyes. She looked up at her father, who was smiling at her.

However, she also immediately noticed one detail. One that was really important to her.

Natsu's scarf was gone.

Alu then snapped her gaze down and gasped.

That scarf was now around her neck.

Shocked and surprised, Alu brought her hands up to touch the scale-patterned scarf.

"Congratulations." Natsu said proudly. "Consider this your inheritance. You now wear Igneel's scarf, which means you're a full-fledged Dragon Slayer. And I gotta say, it looks really good on ya."

Stunned, Alu just stared at the scarf around her neck, holding onto it like it was a sacred treasure. She just couldn't believe it. This scarf meant everything to her father. It was his last and only reminder of his foster father, Igneel. Yet, he just gave it to her without hesitation, just like he did back in Mount Zonia.

Only this time, Alu didn't need it for a bandage. Natsu had no reason to give it to her. Yet he did. And it wasn't just to borrow either. He gave it to her to keep.

"Why, Dad?" she asked in a whispery voice, looking up at her father with bewilderment.

Natsu just smiled even more and reached out to grab his daughter's shoulder.

"I told you before, Alu," he said. "This scarf is a father's gift. As your father, I'm passing it onto you. It's yours now. I just hope it'll bring you the same good luck it brought me."

Alu grinned at what her father said. She held onto the scarf and rubbed her face in it's soft fabric. It was still as soft as it had been ever since she had first snuggled against it as a baby. Her father's scent was deeply absorbed in the very stitches of its cloth.

Alu looked back at her father again and stepped forward to embrace him. Natsu returned the hug, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close.

"Thanks, Dad." Alu said gratefully. "I promise I won't let anything happen to this scarf."

"I know." Natsu nodded.

After a few minutes, Natsu and Alu let each other go.

"Well, c'mon, let's get back inside." Natsu suggested. "I wanna see if they have anymore desserts left."

"Sure thing." Alu replied.

The two turned around and walked back into the Sabertooth guildhall. As they did, Alu looked down thoughtfully at the scarf around her neck. She gave a pensive moan as an idea went through her mind. Carefully, she removed the scarf from her neck and brought down to around her waist. There, she wrapped it around her middle and tied it in a secure knot, so as to make some kind of sash.

Once that was done, she down at herself and placed her hands on her hips. She sharply nodded in approval.

The scarf definitely looked better on her like this.

From now on, she would wear her father's scarf like this. It would always remind her of what he did for her. How he protected her, trained her, taught her how to be strong, and how to be herself.

This was a treasure she would always keep. It was her inheritance.


	40. Chapter 40: Fairy Tails Strongest Family

**Chapter 40**

 **Fairy Tail's Strongest Family**

 _Grand Magic Games of X808, July 7_ _th_ _, The Last Day…_

Alu fiddled with the scarf around her waist as she waited for the commentators to announce her guild. She wasn't sure if she was nervous or excited about being able to participate in the Grand Magic Games, but she was sure that the butterflies in her stomach were starting to make her feel sick. The best she could do was just keep reminding herself to breath and to not vomit.

Normally, the Grand Magic Games would've been over by now. However, after the team fights that took place just yesterday, something unexpected happened. Fairy Tail found itself tied for First Place with another Guild, Scarlet Hand. For the tie breaker, the judges decided to have a three-on-three tournament inside the Domus Flau stadium. Since many members from both guilds were in uncertain condition, the rules were bent a little bit so that each guild could also use reserved members if they needed to.

Which was one of the reasons Alu was about to participate in the first place.

It was also a bit ironic. For today was also her birthday. So she wasn't just turning fifteen today, she was also competing in the Grand Magic Games for the first time.

Finally, Chapati Lola made the announcement that was the cue for Fairy Tail to come out on to the field.

"And ranking in at first place: Fairy Tail!"

Alu swallowed hard. Then she, along with the other two members of her team, walked out of the corridor, and into the sunlight of the arena. They were immediately greeted with thunderous cheers from the crowd that had gathered in the stands around them. However, after a few seconds, something changed in the crowd.

There were some things different about the Fairy Team.

"Well, what do we have here?" Yajima commentated. "Unless my eyes deceive me, Fairy Tail's team seems to have the Dragneel family as the participants."

Sure enough, Natsu, Lucy, and Alu all walked out onto the field.

Originally, Natsu was going to be competing with Gajeel and Erza. However, the Fire Dragon Slayer had other plans, and insisted that he entered with his family. He explained to Erza that he and his family had been training for weeks, and they had gotten considerably stronger. He also expressed how Alu was ready to enter the games, given that she had beaten Ivan and his Neo Zodiacs.

After some consideration, Erza agreed to the arrangement, much to Gajeel's disappointment.

So now, Natsu, Lucy, and Alu were all getting ready to show their strength as they entered the Domus Flau.

The moment the other guilds saw Alu, some of them reacted rather violently, if not comically. The ones that were the most animated were Quatro Cerberus, Blue Pegusus, and Lamia Scale. Almost instantly, they remembered all of the pranks Alu had pulled on them in the past, as well as her anger and rage whenever she got ticked off with them.

"They let HER enter?!"

"The Little Terror's in the games?!"

"Oh, great! As if Natsu wasn't enough, now that got his little clone on the field, too!"

The only guilds who reacted differently were Sabertooth, Mermaid Heel, and Scarlet Hand. For Mermaid Heel, they just saw it as an interesting turn of events.

The members of Sabertooth couldn't help but grin when they saw Alu. And up in the stands, Sting raised an impressed eyebrow.

"Looks like Alu's getting her chance," he said to Yukino and Rogue, who was standing beside him. "And after what we saw with her with that fight against Ivan, I'd say we have our work cut out for us."

"She is pretty powerful." Yukino pointed out. "I just hope the keys I lent her for the Games will help."

"Sorry you couldn't compete this year, Yukino." Sting apologized. "I just wanted to play it safe, given the recent events that happened to you."

"I understand." Yukino replied. "And it's alright. I've enjoyed watching all of you compete. Now, let's cheer on Fairy Tail."

"Scarlet Hand is definitely going to have their work cut out for them with those three down." Rogue commented. "Alu's powerful, no doubt about that. And her father and mother are forces to be reckoned with in of themselves."

At the same time, after getting over the initial shock of having the entire Dragneel family out on the field, everyone noticed the cloths that the three competitors were wearing.

Natsu, Lucy, and Alu weren't dressed in their regular trade-mark attire. They were wearing what appeared to be custom-made uniforms.

Natsu's outfit was jet black with gold lining. It went from his neck all the way down to his waist. His sleeveless jacket fastened together with red bands and gold clasps, and he had matching black and gold fingerless gloves that went up to the middle of his upper arm. Around his waist was a red belt, and from that belt was a long cloth like kilt that opened up in the middle to reveal grey pants that went down to his calves, and black sandals.

Lucy wore a navy blue sleeveless top that opened up in the back, matching blue sleeves that went from her wrists to the middle of her upper arms, and a white skirt around her waist that reached down almost to her knees. Underneath her skirt was black leggings, and she wore red knee-high boots. Around her waist was a black belt with her pouch contain her Celestial Keys, as well as her Fleuve d'etoiles attached to each side of it.

Alu's outfit was almost completely different than her normal one. She seemed to have a mix between her mother and father's outfits in terms of style. She wore a dark purple top with gold lining that was similar to her mother's, but it opened up in the back to reveal only her shoulder blades. She wore fingerless matching gloves that went up to her elbows. Around her waist, she wore her father's scarf. Just below that was a turquoise belt with a silver clasp. Attached to her belt on her right side was her pouch containing her Celestial Keys, and on the left side was a small, silver urn with a blue gem in the middle of it. She also wore a dark purple kilt that went down to her knees, and opened up in the middle. Underneath her kilt, she had on white skin-tight shorts that went down to her knees, and on her feet, she wore crimson sandals with straps that reached up just past her calves.

The one thing that Natsu, Lucy, and Alu's outfits all had in common was that they had the image of a white Dragon printed on them. For Natsu, it was on the whole length of the right side of his torso. Lucy's Dragon snaked from the bottom of her left side up to her right shoulder. And Alu's was wrapped around her waist and up so that the head of the Dragon was over her heart.

With these outfits, and the fact that they were standing side-by-side, the appearance the Dragneel family gave off was bold and striking.

Up in the stands, the rest of the Fairy Tail guild blinked in amazement as well as confusion.

"What with the get-ups?" Ur asked.

"Alu asked Virgo if she could make those uniforms for them." Violet explained.

"So what, those are Celestial Garments?" Ash questioned.

"Yeah." Happy nodded. "And their made especially for the three of them."

Back down on the field, Alu swallowed hard and let out a deep breath.

"So," Natsu turned to his daughter, "you ready for this?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." Alu shrugged. "But I guess this is one way for me to spend my birthday."

"Alright, you two." Lucy said strongly. "Thanks to Natsu here, it's up to us to win this for Fairy Tail. So let's give it all we got."

"Let's also win this for Dad's sake, too." Alu grinned nervously. "I really don't want to see Erza decapitated him if we screw up."

At the mention that idea, Natsu shuddered and whined as it put a horrific image in his mind.

Everyone's attention then turned back to the commentators as they announced the other competing guild.

"And hoping to snag the victory from the long-running champions: Scarlet Hand!"

Natsu, Lucy, and Alu looked over at their competition as three of its members walked out onto the field. They recognized them right away, as they had seen them before in the previous matches.

They were three men by the names of Capone, Keith, and Ryan.

"So," Makarov said inquisitively from his place in the stands, "their going up against a Historia user, a mind reader, and a shadow wizard."

"Yeah," Erza narrowed her eyes, "but Capone's Historia Magic is different. He seems to use artifacts and old fossils to make his illusions more real. And they don't disappear just by simply striking fear into them. I should know, considering I fought him."

"You think our team has a chance?" Wendy asked nervously.

Romeo responded by first placing a reassuring hand on the Sky Dragon Slayer's shoulder. Wendy turned to look straight into his eyes, and she blushed a little.

"Natsu and his family are tough." Romeo said. "And don't forget, Alu's got a Dragon Spirit on her side now. They got this in the bag."

"Let's just cheer them on with all we got." Makarov ordered. "I know those three will pull through somehow."

What no one noticed was one of the Scarlet Hand members look at Alu and her family with a kind of grim curiosity. That wizard in question was the mind-reader, Keith. After he studied Natsu, Lucy, and Alu, he moved closer to his team leader.

"That girl over there," he whispered to Capone, "she appears to have some interesting memories. They seem to be two memories of different lives. One of those sets seems to deal with Dragons."

"Hmm, you don't say." Capone mumbled. He then glanced at a particular pouch around his waist. "Just out of curiosity, any Dragons specifically."

"Actually," Keith answered, "while there is an affection for some, there seems to be a deep hatred for one in particular. It seems to be…um…a green Dragon, like the color of jade. Her parents seem to have a memory of the same Dragon as well. But the blonde woman also has a horrible memory with that one."

Capone then gave a mischievous grin.

"That so. Well, it seems like luck is on my side today. Those three will definitely be fun to play with. But we'll save that for the finale."

The two walked towards each other as the commentators went over the rules of the match to the audience. Basically, it was a tie-breaker round, and whoever won the match would win the games. Natsu and his team stopped just a few yards away from Capone and his team, and they immediately noticed that the Scarlet Hand wizards had very confident smirks on their faces.

"So," Capone said smoothly, "you're great Dragneel family. I've heard many things about you."

"Oh, we're so flattered." Natsu said sarcastically, glaring at his opponents.

"Having that said," Capone went on, "how about we make things more interesting. After all, we want to entertain the crowd, don't we? Why don't we do what the other teams have done and place a bet?"

"What kind of bet?" Lucy asked suspiciously.

"Oh, how about something like…loser automatically forfeits the games."

At that request, the whole crowd fell silent. All of Fairy Tail stared at their participating members, waiting with baited breath.

What were the Dragneels going to say?

Natsu and Lucy looked at each other with uncertainty. As confident as they were in their abilities, they weren't exactly comfortable with that bet. If they lost, Erza would definitely have their heads.

However, Alu stepped in before they could give an answer.

"We accept," she declared.

"WHAT?!" everyone in the stadium exclaimed with boggled eyes.

"WHAT IS THAT GIRL THINKING?!" Makarov yelled.

"Well, aren't you confident?" Capone grinned. "You really think you can beat our guild? From what I've heard, you were once the weakest member in Fairy Tail."

"That was long time ago." Alu retorted. "I'm not that person anymore. And my Mom and Dad can wipe the floor with you and your cronies. We won't lose to you."

"Very well, then." Capone replied. "Let the game begin."

"Alu, are you sure about this?" Lucy asked nervously.

"Don't worry, Mom." Alu said, looking back and winking. "We got this."

"Very well, then." Capone said. "Then let the games begin."

At that moment, the gong for the match to start was struck, and the sound it made resonated throughout the stadium.

Immediately, Capone grabbed a handful of fossils from one of his pouches and threw them into the air. Instantly, they all took on the form of five White Wyverns and swooped down to attack the three Fairy Tail Wizards.

Natsu, Lucy and Alu quickly responded by first leaping out of the way to get into better attack positions.

As soon as Natsu was ready, he charged forward and jumped up towards the first Wyvern. The creature tried to stop him in his tracks by blasting him with an ice breath attack, but Natsu just repelled it with his Fire Dragon Magic. He then summersaulted in the air and landed on the creature's back. There he punched down on the base of the Wyvern's neck with a Fire Dragon Iron Fist. The Wyvern only let out a screech of pain before disappearing in a shatter of triangular-like crystals that vanished with in seconds. Before the creature vanished completely, Natsu leapt off of it to do kick another Wyvern with a Fire Dragon Talon attack.

While Natsu did that, Alu lit a fire at her feet and used it to jump high into the air between two Wyverns. When she was at the peak of her jump, and just as the Wyverns closed in on her, she ignited her hands with Celestial Dragon Fire and spun around. With her Spirit Dragon Wing attack, she took out the two Wyverns simultaneously, and they disappeared just like the ones that her dad had defeated.

Lucy equipped into her Sagittarius Star Dress and took aim at the last Wyvern that was closing in on her. She wasted no time as she released her arrow, and it transformed into multiple arrows. They all stuck their target with accurate precision, and exploded the moment they made contact.

With those threats out of the way, Natsu and Alu rushed forward to attack the three Scarlet Wizards in close-quarter's combat, while Lucy stayed back to support them from a distance. However, before Natsu and Alu even got close to Capone and his teammates, the said Scarlet Hand wizard grabbed a few more fossils out of another one of his pouches and three them at the two Fairy Tail wizards. They immediately transformed into fourteen Vulcans, making Natsu and Alu stop and go on the defense as the creatures rushed at them.

Seeing the situation change, Lucy quickly equipped into her Taurus Star Dress and ran forward to aid her family. Using her whip, she managed to take out three Vulcans at once. Natsu stood his ground and dealt heavy Fire Dragon punches on the Vulcans that challenged him. Alu took the fight to the Vulcans as she moved quickly. With precision, she landed hard kicks and punches with her Celestial Dragon Fire. At this rate, the three Dragneels defeated ten Vulcans in just a matter of five seconds, leaving only four Vulcans on the field.

"Lucy!" Natsu shouted.

Lucy acknowledge the command and back-flipped to the outer edge of the fight. There, she used her Fleuve d'etoiles to whip out and ensnare all of the Vulcans together. With the strength her Taurus Star Dress granted her, she was able to imprison all of them with what seemed to be no effort whatsoever.

"Alu!" Natsu commanded.

"Got it, Dad!" Alu acknowledged.

Reading each other's movements, Natsu and Alu got into position. They stood several meters away from each other and faced each other. This put the Vulcans in the middle of their imaginary circle.

The two then took deep breaths and got ready to do their respective spells.

"FIRE DRAGON…!"

"SPIRIT DRAGON…!"

On the same note, both Natsu and Alu shouted,

"ROOOOAAAAR!"

In perfect timing, Natsu and Alu released their breath attacks. Powerful, honest red and orange flames shot from Natus's mouth, while pure, dazzling white star fire shot from Alu's. At the very last second, Lucy pulled her whip away and the flames collided into an awesome display of wild flames. An intense wave of heat surged through the arena and up into the stands, making everyone curl in defensively, and some duck behind the walls of the stadium. After a few seconds, the fire died, leaving behind scorch mark in the ground where the last four Vulcans used to be.

"Holy crap!" Ash exclaimed. "That was awesome!"

"They took out those all creatures like it was nothing!" Carol said with wide eyes.

"Who would've thought the pinky princess would be such a badass." Ur blinked, she was just as dumbfounded as her friends were.

"Those three are in perfect sync." Levy observed. "It's like they knew what they were all thinking."

"Well, they had been practicing together for a while now." Gajeel pointed out. "They've probably come up with a bunch of moves together."

"Surprised old Flame-Brain is able to keep track of a strategy." Grey said sarcastically.

As the rest of Fairy Tail was marveling over the spectacle they had just witnessed, Erza was looking on with a suspicious kind of expression. Makarov was the only one who noticed this, and became concerned.

"What is it, Erza?" he asked in a low voice.

"Something's not right." Erza replied thoughtfully. "Why is Capone the only one attacking? Keith and Ryan just seem to be hanging back for not reason. Why?"

Makarov looked over at the situation on the field and began to question the same thing. Why were Keith and Ryan just hanging back? Was it because Capone was just the more powerful and predominate fighter? From what they had seen this team during the previous days, Keith and Ryan's power was rather ambiguous.

Keith seemed to defeat opponents without even touching them, and sending them into a state of panic though some kind of mind Magic. Ryan seemed to have the ability to manipulate people's shadows, and make them do his bidding. He mostly did this by having his opponent beat themselves up.

But why weren't they fighting now? What was Scarlet Hand planning.

As both Makarov and Erza were considering this, Natsu, Lucy and Alu gathered back together, and Lucy de-equipped her Star Dress, returning back into her Celestial Garments. They all then turned to face the three Scarlet Hand wizards.

"That all you got?" Natsu taunted. "That was hardly even a challenge. I thought you said you were going to make this interesting."

Capone gave a snide grin.

"You want interesting?" he asked in a rhetorical voice. "Very well, then. Although you're going to regret it."

Suddenly, Natsu, Lucy and Alu stiffened. They felt a strange sensation of something grabbing and restraining them. Yet, there was no one touching them.

"What's going on?!" Natsu strained. "What is this?!"

"I can't move a muscle!" Lucy said, trying to move to no avail.

"Oh, that's Ryan's Shadow Bind Magic." Capone answered. "He can manipulate people's shadows and make them do his bidding. As long as you three are stuck like that, you're like putty in our hands."

Natsu, Lucy, and Alu looked down at their shadows and saw that they were all joined together by another shadow. They followed the trail and saw that it was connected to Ryan. Ryan himself was crouched down on one knee, and his hands were positioned in such a way that he looked like he was puppet master using invisible strings to manipulate his victims.

"So you're just gonna beat us up now that we're frozen?!" Alu snapped, struggling to move her arms.

"Oh, we have something much more enticing for that." Capone sneered. "We said we wanted to entertain the crowd. And thanks to Keith's Mind Magic, I think we have the perfect finale for the match."

Capone then reached into a specially designed pouch on his belt and pulled out what looked like the shard of a very old bone. He then threw it into the air and used his Historia Magic to transform it into what it used to be when it was part of its living host.

What it was, was something that made everyone in the stadium drop their jaws, and their eyes widen in shock and fear.

It was a Dragon. An enormous, muscular Dragon, with scales the color of jade. As soon as he was fully reanimated, he opened his mouth and roared, showing off his large, sharp teeth that were dripping with saliva.

At the same time, Natsu and Lucy stared as they both recognized the Dragon. It was one they had seen a long time ago, and one they had fought against during the Eclipse Project.

From up in the stands, all of Fairy Tail was watching with fear in their eyes. They, too, remembered this Dragon, especially those who had a first-hand experience with him.

"Oh, no!" Happy screeched. "It's that creepy pervert, Zirconis!"

"You gotta be kidding me!" Lucy shrieked in terror.

"Well, well, well," the Jade Dragon mused, "looks like I've got some more tasty morsels to nibble on. Of course, those husks of your will have to be removed."

At the sight of this Dragon, everyone in the stadium gave terrified shrieks and cries, and the spectators began to scramble to get out of the stadium.

Natsu tensed up defensively, but was quickly reminded by his restrained movements that he was caught in a kind of shadow trap. He glanced over to say something to his wife and daughter, but his immediately died in his mouth when he saw Alu.

Alu was shaking violently, but it wasn't out of fear. Her eyes were full of uncontainable rage, and her fists were clenched so hard her finger nails were digging into her palms.

And that scowl was directed straight at Zirconis.

"YOU!" Alu snarled savagely, making Natsu and Lucy look at her with concerned confusion.

Zirconis must've heard Alu as well. For he turned his gaze directly onto her.

"Hmm, so sorry," he said sarcastically. "Do I know you, little shrimp?"

Alu's eyes flashed with hatred and she scowled even harder up at the Dragon before her.

"You're saying you don't remember me, Zirconis?!" she roared.

"Hold on, Alu!" Natsu exclaimed. "You know this guy?!"

"You bet I do!" Alu growled, her body tense with anger, and her hair standing up on end. "This Dragon! He's the one who killed my family in my past life! He killed them right in front of me!"

Natsu and Lucy both inhaled sharply at that statement before looking back at Zirconis.

This Dragon was the one who killed Alu's past family?

"Well, I've eat so many delicious humans in my past that I lost track." Zirconis said callously as he stroked on of his long beard-like tentacles on his chin. "Of course, I'm always hungry for more, especially tender young females."

While Lucy couldn't help but scream at that statement, Alu just bared her teeth.

"How are you even here?!" Alu shouted viciously. "Answer me! I watched Acnologia destroy you! So how are you here?!"

At the mention of the name of the Dragon of the Apocalypse, the Jade Dragon involuntarily recoiled and shuddered.

"That's the power of my Historia Reanimation Magic." Capone replied haughtily. "All I do is combine it with a fossil of a beast, and they come alive again as if they never died. After that, they take on a life force of their own. They all of their strengths and powers."

"So you're some kind of necromancer?!" Lucy said, narrowing her eyes. "And how did you even get your hands on a Dragon fossil?!"

"I discovered a Dragon grave recently," the man explained almost dismissively. "And I just picked a shard for a Dragon bone. Doesn't really matter what kind of Dragon it is as long as it's a Dragon."

"But of all the Dragon you could've chosen from, why did it have to be Zirconis?!" Alu raged. "I'll make you pay!"

"How will you do that when you can't even move, you little brat?" Capone asked mockingly. "I wonder if you'll still have your fighting spirit when Zirconis is done with you."

Zirconis gave a wicked grin as he locked onto the three humans below him. Lucy screamed as the memory of what this Dragon did to her in the past slammed into the front of her mind. Zirconis then opened his mouth and a ball of magenta white light began to grow form it.

"NO, NOT AGAIN!" Lucy screeched. "IF HE HITS US WITH THAT, WE'LL BE IN OUR BIRTHDAY SUITS!"

"And everyone's watching." Capone said callously. "And you can't move to cover yourselves. Now how's this for a finale?"

"YOU BASTARD!" Natsu raged as a nervous sweat began to drip down his forehead. "YOU SICK, TWISTED PERVERT!"

Alu, on the other hand, didn't seem to be concerned. She just glared up at Zirconis.

At last, Zirconis released his attack. Natsu, Lucy, and Alu were all engulfed in that light. Only their silhouettes were visible, and only the screaming voices of Natsu and Lucy could be heard.

As they were hit, the rest of the crowd couldn't help but stare. They were mostly wondering if they Fairy Tail wizards were okay, but some had more sick intentions as well.

Some people immediately turned away. Ash was one of them. He covered his eyes and turned his back, not wanting to disgrace his best friend.

After a few seconds, Zirconis's attack disappeared, and he smiled wickedly as he expected to see the results of his Magic.

However, everyone was in for a surprise.

Natsu had his eyes shut as he waited for the sensation his cloths to disappear from the Magic he was blasted with. However, he felt nothing. Nothing at all. And there was no jeering reaction from the crowd either. If anything, there was astonished gasps. Slowly, Natsu opened one eye a little and looked down at himself. Then both of his eyes opened widely.

He still had his cloths on.

Natsu glanced over at Lucy and Alu. They, too, still had their cloths on. And Alu still had his scarf around her waist. Of course, Lucy was panicking too much to notice, and she was starting to become embarrassed for no reason, screeching and crying for Virgo to bring her some cloths.

"Lucy, open your eyes!" Natsu ordered. "It's okay! Trust me!"

Hesitantly, Lucy opened her eyes.

"What the-?!" she gasped when she saw she still had all her cloths on. "We're okay?! But how?!"

"Zirconis's so-called "Magic" doesn't work on Celestial Garments." Alu explained, saying the word Magic like it as more of a farce. "And we're dressed from head to toe in them. And Igneel's scarf is a magic object that's impervious to lots of destroying Magic. As long as we have these on, he's nothing but an overgrown wizard with wings and a sick attitude!"

"Remind me to thank Virgo for these when this match is over." Lucy sighed with relief.

"Hey! That's so unfair!" Zirconis complained. "You can't just do that, you little pipsqueak!"

"Well, we did!" Alu shot back. "What's the matter?! Feelin' scared now that we have shields against your joke of a Magic Power?!"

It was then that Zirconis got a very crude idea.

"Well, pipsqueak!" he sneered. "You three might be unaffected, but I bet not everyone has those kind of outfits!"

Zirconis then turned to the whole crowd and prepared to do the same thing to them. Everyone in the stadium shrieked in terror and tired to get away. However, at the rate Zirconis's Magic was building up, no one would make it out.

"I DON'T THINK SO!" Alu roared.

It was now time to call on her own Dragon. And this one was much more powerful than the one before her now.

"DRACO!"

Instantly, the Diamond Key in Alu's key pouch sparked to life and glowed brilliantly. A millisecond later, Draco came soaring down from the sky in a wonder of light, grew to his largest form, and shot towards Zirconis just as the Jade Dragon was about to release his attack Draco roared as a powerful stream of star fire shot from his mouth. This stuck Zirconis in the back, and made his own breath attack shoot up into the sky, missing its targets completely.

As Draco came in to land, his hands began to glow with a bright teal color.

"SPIRIT DRAGON, DIMENSION BARRIER!"

As soon as Draco's hands slammed into the ground, his magic instantly spread out and covered the fighting area as well as the sky above with a Dimension Barrier. This protected the spectators by keeping them outside of it, while at the same time letting them see what was going on inside of it.

At the same time, the moment it passed under Natsu, Lucy, and Alu, the shadow Magic that had been keeping them prisoner suddenly disappeared. The reason for this was that Draco saw who was doing this to Alu and her family, and he tail-whipped the guy straight into a wall, disrupting his powers and knocking him unconscious.

"Alright, Draco!" Natsu laughed.

"Just in time!" Lucy smiled.

Draco wasn't really paying attention to those words of praise. He positioned himself protectively over the Dragneels and stared at Zirconis with malice in his eyes.

Seeing two Dragons on the field, the whole crowd that was watching on the other side of the Dimension Barrier was star-struck. None of them had expected this turn of events so quickly. And they certainly didn't expect to see two Dragons at the same time.

They were mostly amazed at the sight of Draco. He was the most majestic Dragon out of the two.

Zirconis turned to see who had struck him, and was immediately surprised.

"Draco?!" he exclaimed. "How are you here?!"

"So we meet again, Zirconis!" Draco snarled. "How dare you try to harm Alu and her family! You may have taken her family once, but I refuse to let it happen a second time!"

"So you're still on the humans' side, I see!" Zirconis growled as he got to his feet. "Well then, I guess I'll have to take you down first!"

"I'd like to see you try!" Draco challenged. "Get ready! Because I won't hold back! I will protect Alu and her family!"

Draco then charged at Zirconis, who evaded the attack by taking off into the air. Draco recovered quickly and flew up after him. There, up in the sky, surrounded by the Dimension Barrier, the two Dragons clashed with fierce aggression. While Zirconis was large and strong, he didn't look very graceful as he tried to fly though the air. Draco on the other hand, while not as muscular as his opponent, was very sleek and fast. He came in with quick attacks before retreating, and coming back around for another attack.

As Draco left the ground, Alu ran out into the middle of the arena with a vicious scowl on her face. This fight had just got personal for her. This wasn't about wining the match for Fairy Tail anymore. She had completely forgotten about the Grand Magic Games. All her attention was on Zirconis, and the ones who had dared to summon him.

Zirconis had taken her family in her past life, and she wasn't going to let it happen again. She had to protect them.

She was going to destroy him, like she should've done all those years ago.

She then took a firm stance and spread her arms out. A golden circle with the signs of the Zodiac quickly formed at her feet and spread out and around her.

Natsu and Lucy stared in shock when they realized what she was doing.

 _"O, Celestial Spirits of the Zodiac with whom I have a pact!"_ Alu chanted. _"Hear me, the Celestial Dragon Slayer, and answer my summons! I beckon you to my side at once! Lend me your strength to seal away the wicked! Open, Gates of the Zodiac!"_

Pillars of golden light shot up around Alu before fading away to reveal all of the Zodiac Spirits in their dazzling armor forms.

As all this was going on, a wicked expression was slowly creeping over Capone's face. He then leaned over and whispered something to Keith. Keith listened for a moment before nodding.

"Take 'em down!" Alu ordered, directing the Spirits attention to their enemies.

All the Zodiac Spirits turned to face their opponents, and were all immediately surprised when they saw that Draco was fighting against another Dragon.

However, it wasn't long before they had their hands full. Capone had pulled out a number of fossils and was quickly transforming them into what appeared to be barrages of Wyverns, Vulcans, and other various creatures. This made all of the Celestial Spirits focus on attacking those monsters, as they were coming at them in endless waves.

Natsu and Lucy quickly snapped back to reality and remembered they still had a fight to finish. They looked at each other for a moment before nodding and darting forward to join the Celestial Spirits.

Alu swiped Draco's Key off her belt and was about to use it to enter her Dragon Force…

…But then her whole world faded.

Alu's faced changed to a terrified expression and she dropped Draco's key. She then fell to her knees and gripped her head with both hands, crying and wailing out in unspeakable terror.

Natsu's sensitive ears picked up his daughter's cries and he snapped his head in the direction where she was.

"ALU!"

Lucy, hearing Natsu's cry, first looked at him before looking back at Alu. She gasped in horror when she saw her daughter's state.

"Lucy!" Aquarius shouted, knocking back a forest Vulcan with a water attack. "Don't just stand there! Go help Alu!"

Lucy didn't need to be told that twice. Without another second of hesitation, she rushed away from the fight and over to Alu. Alu was shaking with intense fear, and tears were spilling from her eyes and running down her face. Lucy quickly got down to Alu's level and grabbed her by her shoulders.

"Alu, what's wrong?!" she asked urgently, shaking her a little to try and get her attention.

"No!" Alu cried. "Stop! Leave them alone! Dad! Mom! No!"

"Alu, I'm right here!" Lucy replied. "I'm right in front of you!"

Natsu quickly observed the situation that was going on and glanced over at the remaining Scarlet Hand wizards. He noticed now that Keith had a very dark aura glowing about him, and that his gaze was locked onto Alu.

That's right! Keith's Magic was Mind Magic! He must be messing with Alu's mind somehow!

Feeling a surge of rage, Natsu let out a battle cry and charged forward. His goal was to get to Keith and take him down. If he did that, then Alu would be set free from his Magic.

"ARIES!" Natsu shouted. "HELP ME GET THROUGH THIS CROWD!"

"COMING!" Aries cried.

As the three raced towards the hoarde of monsters, Aries attacked with a giant Wool Bomb to engulf a large chunk of the monsters. Natsu then charged forward and attacked it with a Fire Dragon Roar. The result was a massive explosion that destroyed many of the summoned monsters, as well a whole in the crowd for Natsu to run straight through.

The moment Natsu saw his chance, he dashed straight towards Keith, who screeched out in fear at the approaching Dragon Slayer. Natsu punched Keith hard in the face, sending him flying backwards into the wall of the arena, and knocking him out cold.

He then turned to attack Capone, but quickly saw that Loke had that covered.

"Natsu!" Loke ordered, dodging an attack from the Scarlet Hand Wizard. "We can handle things down here! You go help Alu take out Zirconis!"

"You got it, Loke!" Natsu nodded sharply.

The Fire Dragon Slayer then fought his way back through the swarm of monsters until he was out on the other side of them. Leaving those creatures to the Celestial Spirits, he ran over to where Lucy and Alu were. By now, Alu was holding onto her mother for dear life and crying uncontrollably.

"What happened?!" Natsu asked.

"Keith attacked her with his Mind Magic." Lucy quickly explained. "He forced her to relive the night her past family was killed."

Natsu gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. That was a horrible thing for someone to do to his daughter. But he had already gotten vengeance for that, so he couldn't dwell on it now.

"Mom." Alu whimpered. "Dad. Where's Dad?"

Natsu's faced softened a bit and he got down to hug his daughter. Alu tensed at the sudden warmth and her eyes snapped opened. She looked over at her father, and let out a shaky breath.

"I'm right here, Alu." Natus assured. "Your mom and I are both here with you. You don't have to be afraid anymore. You're not alone. Nothing is going to tear us apart. Not Zirconis, not Ivan, not anyone."

Alu took in several deep breaths before burying her face into her father's shoulder and hugging him with all the strength she had. She then felt her mother embrace the two of them, and knew that this was real. Her family was here with her. She wasn't alone. In an instant, she wasn't afraid anymore.

They were all here together.

Alu's strength returned to her and she gathered herself back up. The three Dragneels pulled away from each other, and Alu reached for the Dragon Key beside her. She then stood up and raised the key in the air. Natsu and Lucy also got up, and took a step back, as they knew what was coming.

"DRAGON FORCE!" Alu shouted.

The Dragon Key flashed into a bright star, and Alu brought it down to her heart. There, it merged into her body, and she changed in a burst of light into her Celestial Dragon Slayer form.

The second she was transformed, she looked up at the sky. She narrowed her now-Dragon-like eyes as she watched Draco fight Zirconis. She then took a fighting stance and her Magic began to swirl around her. Before anyone had time to blink, Alu jumped up off the ground and used her Magic to propel herself up into the sky.

Natsu looked at Lucy, who gave him a single nod. She moved closer to him and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck as he wrapped one arm securely around her waist. Natsu's free hand as well as his feet ignited with fire, and the two of them shot up after Alu.

Draco noticed the three Dragneels arriving and quickly positioned himself so that they either land on him, or at least grab a hold of him. He moved a good distance away from Zirconis and got ready to catch the three humans. While Alu managed to get up high enough to land on Draco's back, Natsu had to reach out and grab on of the talons on Draco's hand. He then swung up and around so that he and Lucy could land on his back. Once they were safely on, he let Lucy go, and they both stood up.

It was at that moment that Zirconis noticed Alu's form. And while he might have been a reanimation of his living self, somewhere in those memories, he recognized her.

"You?!" he shouted, baffled. "How are you still alive?! You should be dead!"

"Nice to see you remember me!" Alu spat. "Not that it's going to do you any good!"

Alu then turned her attention to Draco.

"Draco, how much time does the Barrier have left?" she asked.

"Five minutes." Draco informed. "But that's more than enough time to stop Zirconis. Loke's taken out the summoner, and the Zodiac can handle the ground attacks."

"Then let's end this." Natsu said, stepping forward and punching his right hand into his left palm.

"Natsu!" Draco said. "Take this!"

Draco then shot a blast of white fire from his mouth towards Natsu. Natsu smirked when her realized what the Dragon wanted him to do, and opened his mouth. He slurped down the white, and its power immediately surged through his body. It was so strong and powerful, that Natsu entered Dragon Force.

"Oh, yeah!" he said with vigor. "Now I've got a major fire in my belly!"

"Then let's go!" Alu stepped forward. "I'm all fired up!"

At the same time, Zirconis came flying in for another attack. Draco roared in response, and Natsu charged forward. He then leapt up into the air and his whole body lit up with strong Dragon Slayer Fire.

"FLAME LOTUS: PHOENIX BLADE!"

Natsu twisted his body around, and the attack shot straight out at Zirconis. It hit him with tremendous force, and the flames engulfed the Jade Dragon in a blazing inferno. It was so hot that it caused Zirconis to roar in pain.

"You little insect!" he raged. "I guess I'll have to eat you first!"

"C'mon and try!" Natsu shouted back as Draco swooped under to catch him. "I'm gonna make you pay for what you did to Alu! My flames hurt, but it doesn't hurt as much as what you did to her!"

"Oh, how noble of you!" Zirconis scoffed. "I've always had an appieted for spicy meat! You'll do just nicely, even if you are a rather tough male!"

"OH, SHUT UP!" a woman's voice yelled angrily.

The next thing Zirconis knew, a water whip shot out of what seemed to be nowhere and wrapped itself around his mouth, clamping it shut. He tried to whip his head around to get it off, and even scratch and tore at it with no avail.

Lucy, who was still on Draco's back, equipped in her Taurus Star Dress again, used her Fleuve d'etoiles to muzzle the Jade Dragon. And while Zirconis was fighting to get free, the power her Star Dress gave her made her able to hold her own against him. As a bonus, she was able to yank him out of his stable flight pattern, and make him disoriented.

"No one touches my family!" she said viciously. "Now, Alu!"

Alu raced down Draco's back at incredible speed, her arms wide out like she was getting ready to fly, and white star fire beginning to form around them.

"CELESTIAL DRAGON SLAYER, SECRET ART!"

When she reached the end of her track, she jumped off of Draco and sailed high over Zirconis. She then twisted her body and got ready to spin.

"STAR FIRE EXPLODING SPIRIT BLADE!"

Alu spun around as giant waves of star fire blades shot from her hands. Lucy quickly let Zirconis go just as her daughter's attack rained down on him. They all struck Zirconis with so much power that it shattered right through his scales, exposing his skin underneath.

As Alu came out of her attack, Draco flew under her. She summersaulted in the air before landing gracefully on his back.

"This is, guys!" Natsu declared. "We got him on the ropes! Now let's end this with a big attack!"

"Natsu, we haven't mastered that yet!" Lucy warned.

"It's the only chance we got!" Natsu said. "Zirconis is a Dragon! We've gotta hit him with all we got!"

"I agree!" Alu replied. "Let's do it!"

Lucy, although still having reservations, agreed to the plan and de-equipped back into her standard uniform.

"Draco, get ready!" Alu said to the Celestial Dragon.

Draco acknowledged the command and flew around so that he was heading straight for Zirconis. By this time, Zirconis was furious and hungry for revenge. The rage in his eyes was undeniable, and he had a clear intention on destroying his prey.

As the Dragons flew straight at each other, Alu stood between her parents, with Natsu on her right and Lucy on her left. She then stretched her arms out so that that her hands clasp one of her parents. Focusing their power, all three closed their eyes.

"Spirit Dragon, Soul Bound!" Alu commanded.

With that Magic cast, Alu allowed the souls of parents and herself to merge together, combining their Magic into one. As soon as that happened, a golden Magic Circle appeared at their feet. In the center of it was a symbol of a Dragon's face inside a five-pointed star.

 _"O, heavenly power of the stars."_ Lucy chanted. _"By thy radiance, reveal thy form to me!"_

 _"Strength and might of the Dragon."_ Natsu followed up in a rare state of concentration. _"With burning force, unleash your raging fury."_

 _"Dragon and Celestial Magic."_ Alu said. _"Come together to become one once again. Open the gates, and release the light to strike the darkness with the eighty-eight heavenly bodies."_

The Dragneels then snapped their eyes open to reveal blazing gold, red, and white circles shining in their irises.

 _"BLAZING!"_ they all commanded in unison. _"CELESTIAL DRAGON STAR FIRE URANO METRIA!"_

They then moved into fighting stances and released the attack.

The combined Magic of the Unison Raid unleashed itself in a massive, unavoidable storm of pure white fire balls. Draco added to this attack by giving a Spirit Dragon Roar. Before Zirconis had time to so much as move out of the way, the attack hit him with full force, and enveloped him completely. The only sound he could make was a stifled roar as the attack obliterated him, causing him to shatter into triangular pieces that disappeared within seconds.

At the same time, the Zodiac Spirits down below destroyed the last of Capone's monsters with their most powerful attacks.

The match was over.

With the threat gone, Draco's Dimension Barrier slowly faded away, restoring everything to its original state and leaving no trace of damage behind.

The Zodiac Spirits saw their job was done, and closed their gates, returning to the Celestial World.

Down on the ground, the three Scarlet Hand wizards laid in the dirt, defeated and battered.

Up in the sky, Natsu, Lucy, and Alu were standing tall on the back of the Celestial Dragon.

The whole stadium was silent, stunned by what they had just witnessed.

Finally, the commentators came back on.

"Unbelievable!" Chapati Lola cheered. "What a outcome! The Dragneel Family has defeated Scarlet Hand in an astonishing match! With this victory, Fairy Tail has won the Grand Magic Games!"

The whole stadium erupted in roaring waves of cheers and applause. Everyone in Fairy Tail was freaking out over their victory, hugging each other, giving each other fist bumps, and praising the Dragneels for their victory.

Other guilds like Sabertooth and Mermaid Heel also celebrated. For with this victory, Fairy Tail had also bumped Sabertooth up to second place, while Mermaid Heel came in third.

Everyone was still celebrating as Draco flew gracefully down and landed in the fighting arena. However, as soon as he did, everyone saw something that shot a wave of worry through them.

After that powerful attack, Alu felt her Magic Power drain from her. As Draco came down, she came out of her Dragon Force and swayed from exhaustion and collapsed. She would've fallen over completely, but Natsu and Lucy were right there to catch her.

Right now, she was held in both their arms, her eyes closed and her mouth open.

"Alu, you okay?!" Natsu asked urgently.

"Alu!" Lucy gently shook her daughter.

Finally, and much to everyone's relief, Alu winced and groaned. She then slowly opened her eyes and looked up at her parents.

"Sorry," she smiled weakly. "I just felt a little dizzy. Did we win?"

"Yeah, you bet we did." Natsu winked, the scales on his face slowly fading away. "Told ya we could pull it off."

Alu sat up and looked around at the cheering crowd. Her smile grew even larger knowing that they were directed at her and her parents. She then turned to the place that housed her guild and beamed with pride. She then lifted her right hand and gave them the Fairy Tail salute. This made everyone in Fairy Tail cheer and whoop even louder.

"Way to go, you guys!"

"Nicely done!"

"Awesome job, Natsu!"

"I'll drink to that victory!"

"Amazing, Lucy! Way to be a Celestial Wizard!"

"That was so manly!"

"You were awesome, Alu!"

At the same time, Alu felt a hand pat her on the head. She turned to see her father smiling proudly at her.

"Awesome job, Alu," he said. "You did it."

Alu shook her head modestly.

"No, Dad," she said. "WE did it. I couldn't have done that without you and mom."

Natsu and Lucy smiled at the compliment. Alu then looked up at Draco.

"Thanks, Draco. You really saved us."

Draco just nodded graciously.

Then, to Natsu and Lucy's unexpected surprise, Alu suddenly let out a thrilled laugh and embraced the two of them. They immediately got over it and responded by hugging her back.

Alu couldn't stop the joy that was flowing through her. She not only got to compete in the Grand Magic Games, but she also got to fight alongside her family, and they proved their strength to everyone.

Her parents were by her side this entire fight, and it was because of them she was able to win.

They won this match together.

For the first time in forever, Alu felt her life complete. Her past and present life had come together, and had found a happy ending.

She had a family again, she was reunited with the Spirits she loved so dearly, and was part of a bigger family that was Fairy Tail. That meant so much more to her than simply regaining her lost powers.

She was home at last. That was the most wonderful feeling in the world.

Upon thinking of this, a single, heartwarming thought went through Alu's mind.

 _"As long as my family's with me, there's nothing I can't do."_

 **THE END**

* * *

 **And with that, we've come to the end.**

 **Good grief, this chapter's long. I honestly didn't expect it to get this long, but I had what you might call a "Writer's Rush". Basically, I had a solid plan for this chapter, and I just kind of wrote it out as it came to me. But man, it's over 8,000 words and 24 pages on Microsoft Word!**

 **Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this story!**

 **I want to sincerely thank everyone for reading this. I had a lot of fun writing it. I thank you all for your views, comments, and feedback. It really means a lot to me.**

 **With that, "True Light" is now complete. Stay turned for an author's note soon.**

 **Have a Good Day!**


	41. Author's Note

**Author's Note**

Holy buckets, this is my longest fan fiction ever. It's forty chapters long. But it was well worth it. And to celebrate completing the story, I would like to say a few things about it.

First off, I got into Fairy Tail because I thought it had an interesting world, I love the main characters of Natsu, Lucy, Grey, Erza, and a lot of characters in the Fairy Tail guild itself like Mirajane, Lisanna, Juvia, Gajeel, Levy, and so on. I also like some of the themes such as loyalty to your friends and family, fighting to defend the weak, and doing what's right for the sake of the greater good.

And for goodness sake, I ship Natsu and Lucy so much! I just love how their relationship feels so natural and relaxed, and you can tell they deeply care for each other. I say Nalu is my OTP in anything. I hope those two get together.

However, the biggest criticism I have to give Fairy Tail is the "fan service". At first, it wasn't so bad. But from the Grand Magic Games arc onward, it's just gotten outrageous.

For those who don't really know me, I hate "fan service" in manga and anime. Not only because it's cliché, but it also distracts from a story, especially if that story is good.

Especially in something like Fairy Tail, where the story is compelling enough to tell me that I'm suppose to care about the characters. When they are reduced to fan service pawns, it immediately disengages me. It just feels out of place and unnecessary. And if I'm pressed on the matter, I say it's downright stupid. And honestly, it makes me feel like the author thinks I won't pay attention to the story unless a character gets stripped every three chapters. Basically, it makes me think the author thinks I'm unintelligent. Which irritates me, because I love everything else about Fairy Tail, except that. And that's why I have a love/hate relationship with the series right now.

Now, I don't mind some scenarios like beach or pool episodes. Seeing people in swimsuits at a beach or pool is a part of life. I have no problems with that. But when it's in a fight scenario and characters getting stripped is made out to be something of a joke, especially if it's in a life-and-death situation, that's when I get irritated and mad. It degrades not just the victim, but also the characters involved in the situation who have to stop and ogle over the character's body. It does no justice for either side. Especially when character's original personalities are thrown out the window just to accommodate that kind of stuff.

Why? Just…why?

Anyway, sorry for the rant. I just had to get that off my chest.

But that is leading into how I created the protagonist of the story, Alu Dragneel. Part of her creation was making her a female character that didn't follow the norms of what the canon Fairy Tail had set up for female characters. Alu doesn't even care about her appearance most of the time, she's just looking for the next fight.

Moving onto Alu herself, I first came up with her before I started writing this fan fiction. At first, she was just a fan child I made for Natsu and Lucy, and I had only some vague idea of what her story might be. I had seen various suggestions as well as fan art of future Fairy Tail children from the main cast, so that was part of the inspiration.

Oddly enough, for some reason, a lot of people seem to think of Natsu and Lucy having a daughter more than having a son. And that daughter seems to resemble Natsu more than Lucy I guess that might have something to do with the information of Nashi leaked over the internet from an interview with Hiro Mashima. And yeah, I came up with Alu's name before I learned about Nashi.

As for Alu's name, while Alu is a real name in of itself, for the purposes of the story, it's actually "Nalu" (the pairing name for Natsu and Lucy) with the "N" taken off. However, as I looked at it closer, I saw another layer to it. It has the "A" from Natsu's name, the "L" from Lucy's, and the "U" from both their names. Kind of a creative way to blend their names, even it that part was unintentional. Still, pretty cool.

As for Alu, I knew right from the beginning that she would take after Natsu. Seeing as that seemed to be everyone's prediction, I decided to go with it and see where I could take it. In the end, this led me to two things. One, Alu's wish to be just like her father partly comes from the fact that she looks like him, so she feels a kind of obligation to carry on his legacy.

And two, everyone would know who she's related to just by a single glance. That also opened up the possibilities of what would happen if an enemy from Natsu's past (because he has made lots of enemies in his life) found Alu and wanted to use her as a way to get revenge on Natsu.

Having that in my arsenal, I was able to do quite a bit in my story.

As for the main antagonist, Ivan, he was originally going to be an OC. But as I was developing the story, I thought it would be more interesting to have an already existing character from Fairy Tail come back for revenge. At first, I was going to choose Jose from Phantom Lord, but then I went back and saw that his story had been resolved. As I went over the list of potential villains, I came across Ivan. Remembering that he had sworn vengeance on Fairy Tail for some reason, I decided to use him. While Ivan doesn't have a direct grudge towards Natsu, the fact that he found his daughter, and he knows Natsu is a Dragon Slayer, that was enough for him to want to capture Alu and use her as a bargaining chip to get to Natsu.

In doing that, it also created a situation for Alu to confront. Both she and Ivan were similar in that they had conflicts with their respective families, they wanted to be recognized for who they were as people, and they wanted to prove that they were strong and powerful. However, what separated them apart was how they handled their situations.

Ivan had more selfish motives, and didn't care who got hurt as long as he got his way. While Alu had selfish intentions in the beginning, in her heart of hearts, she never wanted to hurt anyone. And unlike Ivan, who threw away his family ties for power, Alu wanted her family ties back.

With this interesting dynamic, I had a great moral for the story.

While "True Light" is a coming of age story, it's primarily a family. More specifically, it's a father/daughter story. That is the intention I set out to write when I began this.

And yes, I got the title's name from the song "True Light" from DNAngel. It was mostly from the English version though.

Now, one character I want to touch upon is Natsu. He was both easy to write, and hard to write.

To explain, something I noticed about Natsu's character.

When you put him in a fight, he's wild, vicious, and determined to win. In many ways, he can be the scariest guy you'll ever meet. However, on the flip side of that, you put a child in his hands, and he can be the most kind and caring person you'll ever meet. This was seen when he took care of Asuka.

And I've seen so many comments from fans saying that Natsu would make a great father, and I have to agree. I also think that in becoming a father, Natsu might grow up a little bit, too. While he keeps a bit of his child-like qualities, he would change a little bit, knowing he has a family to take care of, especially if he knows this child is his own flesh and blood.

And if this child is giving him a taste of his own medicine.

But it was finding the right balance between how much he would have grown up to keeping child-like personality that was the challenge. In the end, I decided that he would be a little more mature given his position in the family, and he would be very protective of them. He wouldn't hesitate to save Alu no matter what the cost might be. And he would fight with everything he had to make sure his family's safe.

Coming up with the relationship between Natsu and Alu was a bit difficult. At first, this story was going to take place at the moment when Alu was born and then progress through certain events in Alu's life that were essential to the plot, and show how her relationship with her parents changed over the years. Starting it out on a good note, then having it change into something shaky and distrustful was good, but it also made the plot drag.

After some thought, I decided that it would be best to jump straight into the future to where their relationship is already rocky. This way, we got to know Alu a bit better, and her character growth had more of an impact. Seeing Alu grow from this immature, angry, and bratty character into a more caring and mature person was definitely a satisfying payoff.

As for the idea of the Celestial Dragon Slayer and Draco, it was something that I had been tinkering with for a long time. I had heard some people talking about the concept for a while, but it had always been Lucy who ended up being this kind of Dragon Slayer. I decided that it would be interesting if it was Natsu and Lucy's daughter that was this kind of Dragon Slayer, given that she is genetically related to a Dragon Slayer and Celestial Wizard. Unlocking that potential opened the gates of the story even more, and I was able to do more with it. I was able to come up with the concept of the Reincarnation Spell, and explain a few things like how Dragon Slayer and Celestial Magic came about in the first place.

And when adding in Ivan wanting to obtain this power, it really raised the stakes for the story. It also showed Alu what she might end up becoming if she continued her quest for power. But it was by hitting her lowest point that she was able to stand up even more powerful again. In the end, she wanted her family more than her Magic.

And the last chapter was so much fun to write. I loved seeing how the Dragneels finally overcame their past relationship, and are now like a solid unit. And having Alu getting over her past and realizing what's before her was the best part. That last chapter was long and hard to get right, but it was worth it in the end.

That, and I also wanted Zirconis to die in a really nasty way. I really don't like that Dragon. And who better to waste him than the Dragneels themselves.

Now, I realize this story isn't perfect, and that some things aren't in continuity with the original canon in terms of story. So I'm going to wait and see where the manga goes up to the end. If some things that aren't in my story are present, I'll consider going back and changing some details, while keeping the overall intention and heart of the story intact. Because I do love the family aspect of this story, and I want to keep that.

And last, but certainly not least, I have one more thing to say.

Thank you all so much for reading this story. It was a lot of fun to create, and it was only possible thanks to all of your views, comments, feedback, and favorites. Thank you for coming on this journey with me.

Now as a bonus, I got some questions for all of you.

1\. What was your favorite part/parts of the story?

2\. Who were your favorite characters and why?

3\. What would you say are my greatest strengths in writing?

4\. What would you say are some areas I need to work on as a writer?

5\. Would you like to see some future stories with True Light and its characters? If so, feel free to put some ideas. Just please keep them as PG-13 as possible.

With that, I thank you once again. I hope to bring you more entertainment in the future.

Have a Good Day!


	42. Author's Note 2: Please Read!

**Author's Note 2**

 **This is very brief, but I just want to let everyone know what is going on.**

 **I've been editing my "True Light" story, and besides grammar and spelling errors, I also realized that there are a lot of plot holes. Golly grief, that's embarrassing.**

 **The reason behind that was because I kind of developed the plot as I went along, I was keeping up with the manga and it did some things I didn't expect, and I was kind of making it up I went up until the part where the threat of the story came into play, which was like chapter 13. I also realized that there were some missed opportunities that I could've done with the story that I really want to put in.**

 **All that said, I want to make this story stronger because I do care about it, so I will be reposting it again. The overall plot isn't going to change very much, but I'm going to try and add more details and extend some scenes that could use some extension, or modified to help illustrate a point better. I'll still be following the manga for details, but I don't think the story will change too much because of it. At least I hope not.**

 **Anyway, I'll be re-posting the new version soon. I'm just getting a few more chapters edited before I post anything.**

 **I wanted to write this just to tell all you readers and followers what's up, and to let you know to be on the look out for the story. ;)**

 **Have a good day!**


	43. Author's Note 3: IMPORTANT NOTICE

**Author's Note 3: IMPORTANT NOTICE**

 **Okay, I have gotten to the point where I can start reposting True Light. A good majority of the chapters have been edited, and I will be posting some time today. I'll keep the old version up for now, but it will be taken down some time tomorrow. This is just to inform everyone what is going on.**

 **I hope you enjoy the edited version of True Light coming up.**

 **Have a Good Day. :)**


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